Prince William, you may defend it. But it doesn't make it okay.

It’s not often that I vehemently disagree with something that Prince William says, but claiming that trophy hunting is acceptable in some cases? Nope. Sorry Wills, you’ve lost me on this one.

Speaking with ITV News earlier this week, the Duke of Cambridge discussed his commitment to conservation and protecting endangered species throughout the world. But after several minutes discussing endangered species rates and the radical action that is required, the future King then claimed that “there is a place for commercial hunting in Africa as there is around the world.

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but the arguments for regulated, properly controlled commercial hunting is that the money that goes from shooting a very old infirm animal goes back into the protection of the other species,” he continued.

“So when one is infertile or at the end of his life, if someone out there wants to pay that money – and it wouldn’t be me – but if somebody did, as long as that money goes back into the protection of that species then it is a justifiable means of conserving species that are under serious threat.”

Except the problem is it almost never happens that way, and as president of United for Wildlife and a patron of the Tusk Trust, Prince William should know that.

Trophy hunters don’t travel all the way to Africa just to shoot an old, infertile, “hunt-friendly” animal. They go to kill the animal with the greatest bragging rights and highest status attached to it. They go to kill animals like Cecil the lion.

Despite his known dislike for ivory and saying that it has no place on a modern-day mantle piece, Prince William and his younger brother Prince Harry are known to be keen hunters (some outdated traditions of British aristocracy will never truly die).

Two years ago a picture of Harry on a 2004 hunting trip emerged, the Prince crouched over a water buffalo with a rifle in hand, looking proud of his recent kill.

Prince William needs to spend some more time with outspoken animal rights activist Ricky Gervais, it seems…

Watch the full interview here.