Trophy hunter shoots sleeping lion – then celebrates as it writhes in agony

A man who crept up on a sleeping lion and shot him three times before posing with him to boast about his achievement has sparked outrage and disgust across the world.

It’s a tough story to hear for those of us who do not think there is any justification for trophy hunting.

The trophy hunter shot the sleeping lion with three shots, the first of which woke the lion up, and causes him to arch his back in agony.

He then boasts about it in a video clip.

The clip has generated hundreds of angry responses with one Twitter user writing, “This is neither sports nor hunting.”

The clip of the man shooting a lion has been widely distributed on social media.

In the clip you can see a man pointing his weapon at a sleeping lion. The man is being coached by a guide as he takes his first shot at the sleeping lion.

PHOTO: Twitter

The lion writhes in agony as the man fires two more shots at him.

The man’s guide then tells him to stop, saying, ‘OK, OK, don’t do any more.’ – Okay, okay no more.”

“A very nice lion,” the guide continues, while laughing and patting the man on the back.

PHOTO: Twitter

The clip, shared by the Twitter account “Protect all wildlife”, is believed to be recorded in Zimbabwe in 2011, writes the Daily Mail. And according to the article the hunter is 64-year-old Guy Gorney from Manhattan, Illinois.

‘I’ve stopped a beating heart’

According to the Daily Mail , this isn’t the only animal that Gorney has killed.

In an interview from 2015 with CBS, it was revealed that Gorney’s hunts included killing 70 big game animals, such as elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo.

“I have a hard time understanding, if you have a picture of somebody with a deer, nobody seems to care. But if it’s an elephant, it’s a big problem. If it’s a lion – especially now – it’s a huge problem,” Gorney said at the time.

“But to me, either way, I’ve stopped a beating heart.”

PHOTO: Facebook

‘This is not hunting, or sport…it’s murder’

The clip has promoted hundreds of angry responses with some people calling the hunter out as a coward.

Many users responded to the footage, which was also shared by an account listed as belonging to 'Danny Smith' under username '@doglab.' Several called out the cowardice of attacking the wild animal at rest

Many expressed objection over trophy hunting, in general, regardless of whether the animal was asleep at the time of its killing

According to National Geographic “the lion will have disappeared from the African continent in 2050”, the post reads.

Please share to highlight this barbaric act and if you want to see an end to trophy hunting.