Video shared on social media shows trophy hunter Guy Gorney, 64, shooting and killing a sleeping lion and then being congratulated on the kill in Zimbabwe in 2011
A harrowing video of the moment a hunter shoots and kills a sleeping lion in the wild has swept social media.
DailyMail.com can reveal the shooter has been identified as Guy Gorney, 64, of Manhattan, Illinois.
The clip, which is believed to have been recorded in Zimbabwe in 2011, was posted by the Twitter account @Protect_Wldlife on Monday.
'This "hunter" sneaked up on a SLEEPING #Lion and killed it! How brave, how sporting - HOW C**TISH!!!,' the tweet which included the video read, prompting thousands of responses in outrage over the spectacle.
In an interview from 2015 with CBS, Gorney showed no remorse for his 'hunting' habit, which at that time 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.'
DailyMail.com reached out to Gorney who has not yet returned our message.
At the current rate of lion hunting and poaching, the majestic animals could go extinct by the year 2050, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
His current profile photo on Facebook shows him straddling a dead lion in the same outfit that he's wearing in the video where he kills the sleeping lion, 'in the Chewore river bed' of Zimbabwe, according to the caption
The guide calls the man by last name, referring to him as 'Mr. Gorney,' in the video from 2011
The video shows Gorney pointing a rifle at a sleeping lion while he's being coached to shoot.
The hunter fires one shot, and awakes the lion, which arches its back in pain and looks around at where the attack has come from.
Before the lion can understand the assault against it, the hunter fires a second and third shot.
The person guiding Gorney then tells him to stop, saying, 'OK, OK, don't do any more.'
In the video, Gorney fires one shot, and awakens the unsuspecting lion to meet its demise
The lion arches its back in pain and looks around at where the attack has come from. Before the lion can understand the assault against it, Gorney fires a second and third shot
The lion can be seen writhing in pain on the ground, after being awakened by the attack
The guide then shakes Gorney's hand and says, 'That, Mr. [inaubible], is a very nice lion.'
'A very nice lion,' the guide continues, while laughing and patting Gorney on the back.
The clip then cuts to the guide prodding the lion with the butt of the rifle to ensure it's dead, saying again, 'Very nice lion,' while shaking the shooter's hand once more.
The clip then cuts to the guide prodding the lion with the butt of the rifle to ensure it's dead, saying again, 'Very nice lion,' while shaking the shooter's hand once more
'Beautiful,' the guide says, as the video shows a closeup of the lifeless animal's face
'Beautiful,' the guide says, as the video shows a closeup of the lifeless animal's face.
'That is an exceptional lion,' the guide says.
The account which shared the video is an animal rights advocacy account, based in the United Kingdom, according to the information on the page.
'I am an advocate for wildlife,' the biography reads.
'I expose animal abuse and abusers wherever they are. I will NEVER stop fighting for better animal rights and welfare.'
The account which shared the video is an animal rights advocacy account, based in the United Kingdom, according to the information on the page, under username @Protect_Wldlife
