Since 1968, WWF Spain had King Juan Carlos as honorary president. But that’s all over now. After a vote of 226 to 13, the spanish branch of the WWF kicked him out. Why? Because it was judged that the king’s elephant hunting in Botswana was incompatible with the WWF’s goal of protecting endangered species.
The WWF Espana said in a statement (via Google Translate): “Although such hunting is legal and regulated, has been considered incompatible, for many of its members, with Honorary Presidency of an international organization like WWF defense of nature and the environment and one of the most efforts and resources dedicated to the conservation of endangered species. For this reason, the Governing Board of WWF Spain had agreed unanimously to start the process for holding a Special Meeting in which its members could decide on whether to keep or delete Article of the Statutes regarding the Honorary Presidency occupied by King Juan Carlos since the founding of the organization in 1968. The 94% of the partners of WWF Spain voted for the abolition of the figure of Honorary President.”
You can even see a photo of the king posing in front of a dead elephant with a rifle. The trip only came to the media’s attention after the king broke his hip and had to be flown back for emergency surgery. Otherwise, we might never have known about it.
Via WWF.es, Washington Post
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