If you’re looking for information on local hunting outings, you won’t find it at tennis superstar Andy Murray's hotel!
Unbeknownst to the Olympic gold medallist and US Open and Wimbledon champion, the website of his luxurious Cromlix Hotel, which is located 3 miles outside Dunblane, was until recently promoting these cruel activities. Of course, Murray knows that there’s nothing sporting about maiming and killing animals with high-powered guns or other weapons. And after being notified by PETA of the offensive promotions, Murray’s sports company, 77, quickly confirmed that all traces of hunting had been removed from the website.
A British study of deer hunting found that 11 per cent of deer who’d been killed by hunters died only after being shot two or more times and that some wounded deer suffered for more than 15 minutes before dying. Unlike natural predators who help maintain wildlife populations by killing off only the sickest and weakest individuals, hunters kill any animal whose head they would like to hang over the fireplace – including large, healthy animals who are needed to keep the population strong.
“True sports involve competition and fair play between two consenting parties, something that can’t be said for the despicable individuals who torment and kill unwilling participants for fun”, says PETA UK Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi. “Hunters would be arrested if their victims were cats or dogs, even though deer, pheasants and other animals experience fear and pain, just as all animals do.”
This isn’t the first time that Murray has shown his animal-loving nature. Last year, he and renowned chef Albert Roux were awarded PETA’s foie gras–free certification for refusing to serve the imported, engorged livers of force-fed ducks and geese in the restaurant of the Cromlix Hotel.
Other tennis aces who have backed life-saving campaigns by PETA UK or its international affiliates include Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe.
