Derek Wolfe says animal rights activists 'hope pedophiles come after my kids' in wake of mountain lion killing
'These folks don’t want to think logically,' Wolfe says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After a local mountain lion killed two pet dogs and a mule deer, former Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe took it upon himself to kill it.
The Super Bowl champion was asked by a "good friend" to kill the lion that was "wreaking havoc" in a rural Colorado neighborhood.
However, that prompted more than 200 calls from animal rights activists to Colorado Parks & Wildlife to report grievances against Wolfe.
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Derek Wolfe is shown during his playing days with the Denver Broncos. (Jed Jacobsohn / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images / File)
The former NFL defensive lineman told Tucker Carlson that he killed it "completely [legally]" as he is a licensed hunter in good standing with the state, but that didn't stop the backlash.
"I expected that some people would be upset about it because that’s just the way it goes," Wolfe admitted to "Don't @ Me" with Dan Dakich.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, some took it to the extreme.
Wolfe estimates the lion weighed 200 pounds and stood almost 8.5 feet tall.
"You can’t please everybody. But the amount of hate and death threats, you know, threatening my children, saying that they hope pedophiles come after my kids, and this and that, it’s like, ‘What kind of sicko are you?’"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It started with an animal activist organization; I’m not going to say the name," Wolfe continued. "They basically enticed people to attack me on Instagram, and Twitter, added me, and then they were kind of throwing false statements out like, ‘He had no right to do this. This is murder. There’s always another way, a better way. This isn’t conservation.’ Which is all false."
"These folks don’t want to think logically. They’re making their decisions emotionally."
Derek Wolfe #95 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a sack in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The lion looked to at least match Wolfe's 6-foot-5 frame, and he estimated that it "probably" weighed 195 pounds.
Wolfe also told Tucker Carlson that he got the meat processed and is "going to eat that cat."
Wolfe was a second-round pick (36th overall) by Denver in the 2012 NFL Draft and spent eight seasons with the Broncos. He played the 2020 season with the Baltimore Ravens before calling it a career.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Derek Wolfe of the Denver Broncos stands on the sidelines during the national anthem before the start of the game. The Denver Broncos played the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on February 7, 2016. (AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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He recorded 299 tackles and 33 sacks in his nine-year career.