Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan was embroiled in a heated exchange on live television during his interview with an animal hunter who boasted about killing more than 5,000 elephants.

Morgan was interviewing Zimbabwean big game hunter Ron Thomson via video link on Monday morning’s show. The hunter admitted to feeling “nothing” while killing more than 5,000 elephants, along with 800 buffalo, up to 60 lions, roughly 50 hippos and about 40 leopards.

‘I felt nothing. If I had got emotionally involved in what I was doing, I would never have been able to get my job done.’Ron Thomson, who is responsible for killing over 5000 elephants, compares the ‘mental capacity’ of his ‘job’ to a brain surgeon. pic.twitter.com/5pWcRLFxmF — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 29, 2019

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Thomson, who denied being a trophy hunter, compared his career choice to that of a brain surgeon, explaining that he would never allow emotions to cloud his judgement while on the job.

“I felt nothing. If I had got emotionally involved in what I was doing, I would never have been able to get my job done,” said Thomson to Morgan and his co-host Susanna Reid.

In the interview, the animal hunter fought back against Morgan’s questioning and insisted he didn’t enjoy killing the elephants and claimed the government-funded culling is necessary to control the animals who he claimed are damaging national parks in South Africa. Thomson also denied that elephants are facing extinction, despite their plummeting population being widely documented.

More like too many humans on this planet rather than too many elephants. We could start by culling trophy hunters.. — Helen Mackie (@HelenMackie27) April 29, 2019

It’s not often I agree with anything @piersmorgan has to say but in this case well said and well done on taking on this hideous man. pic.twitter.com/wwzgySi8ws — Stuart Foster (@shakerstu) April 29, 2019

The live conversation took a turn for the combative, however, when Morgan described Thomson’s “detached” language as barbaric. A shouting match ensued, which was made all the more intense by a significant transmission delay, with Thomson pointing to the camera, yelling that Morgan had no idea how the culling impacted him.

“It’s very easy for you to sit in an armchair in London and not have to contend with what the African people have to contend with,” Thomson argued.

The elephants were there way before Mr Thomson was. If you don’t like elephants move elsewhere! He is a cold blooded murderer and I hope an elephant helps him become extinct along with every other hunter 😡 — Lesley Taylor (@Lez1963) April 29, 2019

Watched with great interest. Hard to take. Killing magnificent animals to reduce numbers? Surely we can re-deploy #elephants to areas with falling populations..? They deserve that, don't they... — simon casson (@dixieswampdog) April 29, 2019

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Naturally the heated exchange evoked a fierce response from animal lovers and viewers who, for once, appeared to be firmly on Morgan’s usually controversial side of the debate. “It’s not often I agree with anything @piersmorgan has to say but in this case well said and well done on taking on this hideous man,” wrote one user.

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