Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Donald Trump Jr. is being investigated over the shooting of a protected duck while he was hunting in the Venice Lagoon, according to an Italian newspaper.The Venice Prosecutor’s Office has opened a probe into the killing of a rare ruddy shelduck that was seen dead in a video featuring President Donald Trumps’ eldest son, in December, said La Nuova Venezia.Newsweek contacted the Venice Prosecutor’s Office and Trump Jr, via the Trump Organization where he serves as executive vice president, by email on Tuesday outside regular office hours.Why It MattersThe duck’s demise has sparked a furious response from environmental and animal rights campaigners in Italy, which have been demanding an investigation into what happened.If Trump Jr. is confirmed to be involved, it could spark renewed tensions between Italian authorities and the Trump administration, while raising questions about how hunting and protecting rare wildlife can coexist.What To KnowVideo posted online shows Trump Jr. during his December hunting trip to the Venice Lagoon with a number of dead ducks, including one later identified as the protected ruddy shelduck.In the footage Trump Jr. pats the body of a deceased orange duck, commenting: “Lot of wigeon, teal, this is actually a rather uncommon duck for the area, I am not even sure what it is in English, but an incredible shoot.”During the video, which appears to have been taken on an estate at the southern end of the Venice Lagoon, one hunter claims the group had shot 50 ducks in total.
Donald Trump, Jr, eldest son of President Trump, speaks at a campaign rally in Sanford, North Carolina, on November 3, 2024.
Donald Trump, Jr, eldest son of President Trump, speaks at a campaign rally in Sanford, North Carolina, on November 3, 2024.
GRANT BALDWIN/AFP/GETTY
La Nuova Venezia reports local Green politician Andrea Zenoni issued a legal complaint against the group, sparking the investigation from the Venice Prosecutor’s Office, though Trump Jr. isn’t named in person. The investigation is being led by public prosecutor Daniela Moroni.According to U.K. bird-watching website Bird Guides the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) “breeds from southeastern Europe across Central Asia, wintering in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, with a resident population in North Africa.” Europe was estimated to have a population of 33,900 to 53,100 individuals in 2015, with the largest concentrations in Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria.What People Are SayingA spokesperson for Trump Jr. said it was: “unclear whether this single duck was unintentionally shot by someone in Don’s hunting group, another hunting group or killed in a different manner and retrieved by the groups hunting dog.”Don takes following all rules, regulations and conservation on his hunts very seriously and plans on fully cooperating with any investigation.”Speaking The Times, Zanoni said: “It doesn’t matter if the duck was killed by a dog or another hunter since the law also applies to anyone found in possession of a protected species that has been hunted. And Don Jr showed the world in the video that the duck was in his possession.”According to The Guardian Massimo Buconi, president of the Italian Hunting Federation, commented: “At a glance it looks like a ruddy shelduck. I don’t know if it’s protected in America, but in Europe, and in Italy, it is protected. You cannot hunt it.”What Happens NextThe Venice Prosecutors Office will continue investigating what caused the death of the ruddy shelduck that was pictured with Trump Jr., and whether any laws were broken by him or any other member of his group.
