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Ted Nugent defends killing of Cecil, posts photo of lion he killed

Ted Nugent poses with a lion he hunted in an undated photo he posted on Facebook. Facebook.com/tednugent

TORONTO — More celebrities have weighed in on the killing of Cecil the lion by American trophy hunter Walter Palmer.

Rocker Ted Nugent, an outspoken advocate for hunting, said people are “stupid” for being outraged about the animal’s death. He called lions “a renewable resource.”

On Facebook, he commented: “All animals reproduce every year & would run out of room/food to live [without] hunting. The animals have more animals EVERY year!!

“Where would liars propose they live!!”

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The 66-year-old musician called late night host Jimmy Kimmel — who got emotional talking about Cecil’s death this week — a “lying punk.”

READ MORE: Celebrities react to U.S. dentist’s killing of Cecil the lion

On Friday, Nugent posted an undated photo of a lion (described as “Cecil’s greatgreat grandpa Fernando”) that he killed on an Africa hunt.

“This pure natural legal proper scientificaly (sic) sound necessary hunt like all hunts was pure SPORT TROPHY MEAT FUN. Every sacred preciouos (sic) part of this animal was utilized,” he explained.

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“We hired 40 people on the safari, shared the meat, claws, skull, sinew, body fluids, teeth, blood, organs, skin, hair, tongue, eyeballs & each & every hard earned resource this magnificent RENEWABLE resource provided while bringing in critical massive revenues to the local economy while making room for new lions to be born & bringing value to valuable creatures.

“I dare idiots everywhere to point out what was wrong about this & all hunts. Fools are as fools be. Lion baby, the other whitemeat!”

Ted Nugent, pictured in 2010. Randy Snyder / Getty Images

Meanwhile, TV icon and animal rights advocate Betty White called Cecil’s death “such a heartbreaker” on Thursday.

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“You don’t want to hear some of the things I want to do to that man,” the 93-year-old actress told The Associated Press, referring to Palmer.

“You can’t even talk about it, and to see this king of the jungle and personifying it in every way, this gorgeous creature. How can somebody do that?”

All week, celebrities have added their voices to the chorus of sadness and anger on social media.

Model Behati Prinsloo, whose husband is Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine, wrote on Instagram that Cecil’s death breaks her heart. “Bored idiots that think trophy hunting in Africa is a sport need to be stopped,” she wrote. “How can we still allow people to hunt down these incredible animals.”

South African model Candice Swanepoel said she was “deeply saddened” by Cecil’s death and targeted Palmer.

“You have to be so sick to want to kill such a majestic creature of God. You come to Africa with your dollars and euros thinking you can buy power by taking advantage of Africa’s poverty and paying people to help you kill an innocent creature,” she wrote on Instagram. “Disgusting! I hope you get what you deserve.”

Chicago P.D. star Sophia Bush told her Instagram followers she was both an animal lover and “a woman who counts time on the shooting range as one of her favourite hobbies.”

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Bush said “there is not one cool thing about murdering a creature like this.”

She wrote: “To the loser who felt like this act would bolster his manhood? Find another way to prove that you could win a big swinging d*** competition (which we all already know from your embarrassing cowardice you never could in the first place).

“Do a little research on the devastating effects of poaching, not only on incredible animals but on the people who live in the communities being destroyed … This is not our planet to pillage. These creatures are not here for our enjoyment. Coexistence isn’t some lofty ideal. It’s the only way we are going to survive. It’s the only way we are going to pull ourselves out of the trenches of our most repulsive tendencies.”

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