Larysa Switlyk opens a dead Nile crocodile’s mouth. Photo: larysaunleashed

Gulf Today Report

An American trophy hunter has sparked social media outrage with pictures of her standing next to a dead 15ft Nile crocodile which she hunted to make her handbag.

Larysa Switlyk boasted of posting the pictures of herself standing next to a 60-year-old crocodile and commented on the picture, "Excuse me while I shop for a New Purse."

She then denies that she shot the crocodile to make a handbag saying it is rather to save the lives of the local villagers in Zambia.

According to reports, Switlyk sought, through hunting photos, to recruit British women to join her in the hunting operations by running women-only tours in Norfolk, Australia.

Larysa Switlyk stands next to the dead Nile crocodile. Photo: larysaunleashed

She invited her 98,000 plus followers on Instagram to guess the length of the crocodile, which she later revealed was 15 feet.

Instagrammer Jeanie Ferland wrote, “Ok this is the best thing I’ve seen all day!! What a beauty! This is purse shopping at its finest…”

Nic Holmes said, “Lacoste apparel right there…”

News anchor Dr. Gina Gentry Loudon wrote, “Who knew gators had tonsils!!”

Some followers described the act as offensive and despicable.

Switlyk, 33, from Sarasota, said some of these problematic crocodiles needed to be killed to save the lives of humans.

The XPose Trophy Hunting group, which advocates for animal rights, said, “Killing an animal for the sake of pleasure and a handbag is morally indefensible, selfish and goes back to colonial times."