An Idaho wildlife officer resigns after killing a family of baboons

A senior wildlife officer in Idaho resigned from a photo of him posing with a family of baboons killed in Africa.

Idaho Gov. CL "Butch" Otter said in a statement that he had requested and accepted the resignation of Blake Fischer on Monday, three days after the newspaper Idaho Statesman had published the first report on a smiling Fischer photo with four dead baboons backed up behind him.

Fischer and his wife slaughtered at least 14 animals in Namibia, according to photos and descriptions in an e-mail that he sent to more than 100 recipients.

The family photo of the baboon showed visible blood on the abdomen of the smaller baboon, his head resting back to rest on the torso of one of the dead adult baboons. Fischer killed them with the help of a bow and arrows visible in the bottom of the picture.

Fischer was one of seven members of the Idaho Fisheries and Fishing Commission. Otter appoints commissioners and, under Idaho law, can also dismiss them. Otter was originally named in 2014 and had it renewed in June.

"I have high expectations and standards for every person named in the state government," Otter said. "All members of my administration are expected to exercise good judgment and Commissioner Fischer has not done the same."

Fischer did not apologize for killing the baboons, but said in his resignation to Otter that he had "recently made poor judgments that resulted in sharing photos of a hunt in which I did not proof of sportsmanship and respect for animals. "

Fischer and his wife also killed a giraffe, a leopard, an impala, a black antelope, a waterbuck, a kudu, a warthog, a gemsbok (oryx) and an eland.

Most of the photos with the animals were set, such as big game hunting photos of Idaho and other western states showing hunters with dead deer, elk and mountain lions.

The photo of the baboons brought at least two former members of the Idaho Fisheries and Fishing Commission to request Fischer's resignation.

"Sportsmanship is the cornerstone of keeping hunting as a socially acceptable activity," Trevey wrote in an e-mail to the governor's office.

The commission on which Fischer has been sitting makes policy decisions regarding the wildlife of Idaho and often manages game populations through hunting and fishing regulations.

These regulations are intended to promote an ethical hunting of wildlife. Some of Idaho's policies, such as wolf and grizzly bear hunting, have been challenged in federal courts.