Western Australian Premier questions Parks and Wildlife Service’s appointment of trophy-hunter as wildlife officer

Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan and Environment Minister Stephen Dawson are calling for an investigation into the recent appointment by the state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions of a wildlife officer of whom apparent trophy hunting images exist of him posing with dead African animals.

Jewell Crossberg, who was recently appointed acting District Manager for the Western Australian Parks and Wildlife Service’s Esperance region, is seen in images dating from 2010 posing with a dead rhinocerous, elephant, giraffe and zebra.

They were posted to his now-deleted Facebook page and are believed to depict him trophy hunting.

While game and trophy hunting is permitted in many parts of Southern African game parks, such activities are widely condemned by non hunters.

A letter, reportedly written by a group of anonymous Esperance citizens, was sent to a number of organisations including Channel Nine and Minister Dawson's office at the end of last, raising their concern about the appointment.

Minister Dawson told the ABC he did not believe the practice fit with the "ethos" of the agency.

He said he raised concerns about to Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions' Director General - who is responsible for staff employment - after seeing the pictures.

While it is not believed appointing a hunting enthusiast to the role would breach any specific rules or guidelines, Minister Dawson said the case showed the department needed to examine its hiring processes.

He advised “you just need to Google someone to find these pictures on Facebook. Better processes need to be put in place before we employ people in senior roles.

"I don't think our staff in our agency should be doing these kinds of things. And I've asked the director general about some urgent advice about what can be done about it.

"I was physically sick when I saw those photos.

"It doesn't fit with the ethos of the agency."

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the Department needed to investigate how Crossberg was appointed, indicating he did not believe it was appropriate for a game hunting enthusiast to hold a position with a conservation organisation.

Premier McGowan stated "I'm appalled by (these images). I hate that. You see that sometimes online and you think 'What goes through the heads of people who go and do that sort of thing?

"Obviously we will have to investigate how we was appointed and why he was appointed.

"And I've sought that action to be taken immediately.

"People with this sort of mindset and this sort of history, I don't see how they get these sorts of jobs."

The Department is reported as advising that Crossberg went through a competitive recruitment process and demonstrated he had the appropriate skills for the acting district manager role.

In a statement it advised that it is "committed to wildlife conservation and ensuring world's best animal welfare practices throughout the state".

In 2007, the South African High Court found a man named Jewell Crossberg guilty of murder and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for shooting dead a Zimbabwean worker that he said he mistook for a baboon. It is not known if this individual has any relationship to the now Western Australian-based Jewell Crossberg.

Images: Jewell Crossberg apparently posing with dead animals in South Africa. (Supplied: Facebook).