ATHENS 

An Italian animal rights group is preparing a criminal complaint against US President Donald Trump’s eldest son for illegally hunting protected species, local media reported on Tuesday.

Blasting a video that shows Donald John Trump Jr. killing at least one protected species of duck while hunting in the Venice lagoon, the Italian Anti-Vivisection League said the president's son is guilty of poaching, according to the state-run ANSA news agency.

“This act is not only a violation of the law, it is also an affront to ecological sensitivity and the conservation of biodiversity," said Gian Marco Prampolini, the league’s head.

Adding that that non-residents are barred from hunting in Italy, he said the league is preparing to file a complaint with prosecutors “to denounce Trump Jr's illegal, irresponsible behavior.”

A video on social media shows Trump Jr shooting at ducks and then addressing the camera and pointing to an orange-brown duck among at least six other dead waterfowl around him.

The dead birds included a ruddy shelduck, which is protected by the EU Birds Directive and Italian wildlife protection legislation.