Idaho official resigns after killing family of baboons on hunting trip

An Idaho state official resigned Tuesday after colleagues blasted him for sharing “disturbing” photos from a hunting trip in Africa he took just last month.

Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Blake Fischer said in a letter to Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter he “made some poor judgments” when he emailed images of a family of baboons he killed with a recurve bow to current and former state officials, prompting an unexpected backlash.

“I recently made some poor judgments that resulted in sharing photos of a hunt in which I did not display an appropriate level of sportsmanship and respect for the animals I harvested,” he wrote, according to Reuters. He concluded by apologizing for the controversy, saying “my actions will not harm the integrity and ethic of the state’s wildlife agency.”

Otter appointed Fischer for his second four-year term in June, according to reports. A search for his replacement began immediately.