Trump Jr. reportedly killed endangered sheep in Mongolia without permit

Donald Trump Jr. reportedly killed endangered sheep in Mongolia without a permit, then got a permit afterward, according to reporting by ProPublica.

Credit: Darren Hauck

Credit: Darren Hauck

Donald Trump Jr. reportedly killed endangered sheep in Mongolia without a permit, then got a permit afterward, according to reporting by ProPublica.

Donald Trump Jr. reportedly shot and killed an endangered sheep during a hunting expedition to Mongolia — and got a permit after the fact.

The president's eldest son killed a long-horned argali sheep last summer on a trip that he bought at a National Rifle Association fundraising benefit, ProPublica reported.

Trump Jr. killed the sheep — revered as the largest species of sheep in the world — during an August trip to Mongolia.

He was only granted a permit to hunt after the killing of the endangered animal, whose numbers have plummeted in recent years amid hunting and destruction of its habitat in the rocky central Asian steppes.

»MORE: Republican Party spent nearly $100,000 on Donald Trump Jr.'s new book

The nonprofit news organization reported Trump Jr. received special treatment from Mongolian officials, who have prioritized improving ties with the U.S. under President Donald Trump. Trump Jr. reportedly met with the young democracy's president in the capital of

Ulaanbaatar.

Trump Jr. dismissed questions about the trip, saying it was a personal journey.

»FROM OCTOBER: Trump Jr. raises cash for Doug Collins in north Georgia

It's not the first time the Trump children have faced questions about hunting.

In 2012, Don Jr. and his brother Eric took part in a hunt in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe and were photographed with a slain leopard and other wild animals.

»VIDEO: 7 things to know about the Trump brothers