Activists said video showed Trump Jr. with a dead ruddy shelduck, a protected species, near the Venice Lagoon. His spokesman said the group had the necessary permits.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Donald Trump Jr. illegally hunted a protected duck during a trip to the Venice lagoon last December. Earlier this month, a local hunting lifestyle company called Field Ethos released a video online of Trump’s trip that showed him shooting waterfowl in a special conservation area of the lagoon,

Image via Shutterstock The situation around Donald Trump Jr. allegedly killing a rare duck has escalated. Now, Italian authorities have officially launched a probe into whether the politician's son committed a crime.

Prosecutors in Venice have initiated a criminal investigation into Donald Trump Jr.'s hunting party concerning a recent duck hunting trip, as reported by a regional daily newspaper in Italy on Tuesday.