TV presenter receives threats after goat hunt

A “professional huntress” who sparked outrage after posting pictures of herself posing with a wild goat shot on Islay is leaving social media for two weeks after receiving death threats.

American TV presenter Larysa Switlyk said she was “headed out on a bush plane for my next hunting adventure” and would be out of service for a fortnight.

Ms Switlyk, who hosts the Larysa Unleashed programme on various channels, has been widely criticised after posting a picture of herself smiling behind the wild goat, with more than 12,000 people commenting on the image.

The Scottish Government has said it will review the law around animal culling in the wake of the response to the images.

In a message on Instagram and Twitter on Wednesday night, Ms Switlyk said she was heading into the wild to connect back with nature, posting a picture of herself next to a small seaplane.

She wrote: “Nothing better than disconnecting from this social media-driven world and connecting back with nature.

“Hopefully that will give enough time for all the ignorant people out there sending me death threats to get educated on hunting and conservation. FYI, I was in Scotland over a month ago...”

The post attracted almost 1,000 comments on Twitter, with many people saying they hope Ms Switlyk does not return to Scotland.

Sarah Moyes, campaigner for OneKind which campaigns against animal cruelty, said: “It’s utterly shocking to see these images of Larysa Switlyk and other hunters posing for photos with the wild animals they killed on a recent trip to Scotland.

“This is not the kind of tourism we should be encouraging in Scotland, let alone allowing to happen in the 21st Century.”

Criticised: Larysa Switlyk during her visit to Islay.