I’m A Celeb bosses accused of ‘encouraging’ a cruel habit, here’s why

One of the initial I’m A Celeb'sepisode showed Janice Dickinson and Jordan Banjo doing a trial that served them Hartebeest's stomach, a nguni cow’s tongue and a Bauvine's penis and vagina in the Bush Banquet. All these animals have been classified as endangered species.

A conservation charity has slammed the show for its use of near-extinct animals on national TV that encourages people to kill and eat them. Here’s what they have to say.

I’m A Celeb under fire over use of extinct animals

During the Bush Banquet trial, Janice had to scoff a plate dubbed Sto-mac & Cheese with a piece of hartebeest stomach. Network for Animals spoke out against ITV’s use of the creatures as it sends a bad message. A spokesman told The Sun:

There are powerful reasons for why we are against it. If your contestants or your viewer sees them eating hartebeest they’re going to think it’s alright, but it isn’t alright.

It’s encouraging something that is to the overall determinant of the animals because you’re going to encourage them to be wiped out.

You’re dealing with endangered species and you’re encouraging people to kill and eat them for the pot and you mustn’t do that.

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I’m A Celeb’s use of endangered species

Hartebeest is a type of antelope that is native to South Africa. These antelopes have seen a drastic decline in population over the past few years. According to MailOnline, some subspecies have already been declared extinct.

It is not yet known the species which ITV production used but Bubal hartebeest were declared extinct in 1994, Swayne’s and Lelwel hartebeest are listed as endangered and Tora hartebeest is categorised as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The charity added:

Network for Animals is opposed to this on I'm A Celebrity because it sends a really bad message that it’s OK to eat wild animals that may well be endangered.

In some - many - cases we need as many wild animals to survive as we can possibly get. We strongly oppose it.

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Sources Used

The Sun: I’m A Celeb slammed by charity for ‘using near-extinct animals’ for eating trials

Daily Mail: I'm A Celebrity South Africa slammed by conservation charity for using 'endangered species' in eating trial