A former NFL player had many critics crying foul after he shot an animal on a South African safari that some claimed is endangered.

Jay Cutler, former quarterback for the Chicago Bears, posted a photo with his trophy on social media over the weekend.

“Kicked off the Africa hunt with a beauty. Sable down,” he commented on Instagram.

The picture showed him with a sable antelope.

Jay Cutler under fire for killing Sable antelope in South Africa https://t.co/wACSiIvQsS pic.twitter.com/0nnSulYBIA

— New York Post (@nypost) July 14, 2025

Animal lovers derided Cutler’s post, with one saying, “This is nothing to brag about.”

Another snidely commented, “Wow, Jay. You killed a wild animal in a place it’s rarely hunted and it had zero idea you were a threat. Suppeeerrrr impressive buddy.”

Some outlets even reported — apparently erroneously — that the animal he killed was an endangered species.

The New York Daily News indicated to its readers that the slain animal was a giant sable antelope, “which is considered critically endangered and nearly extinct,” adding that “population estimates indicate there are less than a hundred mature individuals.”

But more shooting-savvy fans and sports writers rushed to his defense.

“The antelope Jay Cutler killed was a common sable, and not an endangered giant sable as many haters (and headlines) have claimed,” Outdoor Life reported.

The common sable is — well, common — and not endangered.

The giant sable “can only be found in a small section of central Angola, which doesn’t even border South Africa,” it added.

The sporting news outlet said Cutler was being bashed “by anti-hunters and news outlets who can’t keep their antelopes straight.”

Outdoor Life, along with pro-hunting fans who commented on Cutler’s post, pointed out that hunting safaris play a key role in the local economies of many African countries, and also fund conservation efforts.

“Cutler’s hunt, no matter how controversial, helped fund the very system that supports the species he hunted,” the outlet said.

The New York Post said Cutler —  who threw for more than 35,000 yards and 227 touchdowns in his 12 years with the NFL — was apparently not rattled by the fiery criticism.

He even posted additional images of his adventures, captioning the latest one Monday, “Another great day.”

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