A HUNTING fanatic who has killed at least 5,000 elephants and 60 lions says he has no regrets because killing animals gave him a “thrill”.

Zimbabwean Ron Thomson was identified as one of the world’s most prolific hunters is a report that named Britain as among the ‘deadly dozen’ nations of trophy hunters.

4 Ron Thomson has killed at least 5,000 elephants and 60 lions Credit: YouTube/True Green Alliance

Thomson has previously boasted about killing 32 elephants in one go – and it only took him 15 minutes.

On his website, he claims to have slaughtered more than 800 buffalo, up to 40 leopards, about 50 hippos “and many more”.

Growing up in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, he began hunting as a teenager and quickly became expert.

From 1959, he worked as a national parks ranger and was regularly called on to kill animals.

He told The Independent he no longer regularly hunts but may do so if invited.

“I’ve done enough in my lifetime to satisfy any ‘bloodlust’ people may think I have.

“It wasn’t bloodlust – it was my job.

'I'M TOTALLY UNREPENTANT'

“I didn’t have any sentiment. I’m totally unrepentant, a hundred – ten thousand – times over for any of the hunting I’ve done because that’s not the problem.”

He previously told The Guardian: “It was a great thrill to me, to be very honest.

“Some people enjoy hunting just as much as other people abhor it. I happened to enjoy it.”

As well as enjoying the hunt, Thomson says he was motivated to kill to help populations survive.

He claimed that some species would destroy their own habitats if their growing numbers are not controlled.

BIG GAME HUNTER

Thomson accused western conservationists of spreading “fraudulent lies” to extract money from the public while understanding nothing about managing wildlife.

He said: "When you have a healthy population you must ensure they don’t increase beyond the capacity of their habitat.”

His comments came after a shocking report by the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting revealed that elephant ivory stolen by hunters has increased twelve-fold over the past 30 years.

Meanwhile, elephant populations have plunged from around 1.3million to just 400,000.

Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, told the Daily Mirror: “The trophy hunting industry is slaughtering elephants left, right and centre.

“Killing elephants for fun is unacceptable, even more so because of the seriousness of the current crisis.

“The recent surge in elephant hunting shows that the industry is out of control.

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UK hunters have taken more than 1,089 elephant trophies and more than tonne of ivory back home from Africa, the new report reveals.

Brit hunter Malcolm King has been outed as one of the world's top big game hunters.

Last week a rhino poacher was trampled to death by elephants then eaten by lions at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

4 Hunter Malcolm King has shot animals including wild sheep, goats, deer and oxen Credit: Safari Club Online Record Book

4 Malcolm King has been named among the world's most elite hunters Credit: profihunt

4 Shocking photo appears to show two smirking trophy hunters next to a dead elephant in Africa Credit: Damian Aspinall / Instagram