A trophy hunter's "sadistic" killing of a US mountain lion is being condemned after she posed with its body, proudly showing off the blood on her hands.
Twenty-eight-year-old hunter Franchesca Esplin shot the animal during an "amazing" hunt in Colorado.
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A pack of dogs chased down the cat and bailed it up in the tree. Unable to escape, it was a helpless target for Ms Esplin, who slaughtered it with glee.
She then posted photos of her and her kill to Facebook in a post thanking those who helped her "harvest this amazing tom" as it had been "top of my bucket list forever".
"Thank you to all those that helped out, you guys have NO idea how happy I am. I can see why this hunt is addicting."
But her actions are causing outrage amongst animal activists, who are accusing her of being a "sadistic killer".
"Anyone who would glory in the blood of an animal they kill has some clearly sociopathic tendencies," Prairie Protection Colorado wrote on Facebook.
"We will continue to expose this mentality for education purposes and to build a base of concerned citizens that are willing to do what it takes to stop the atrocities."
The animal's death has raised memories of other cats who were killed by trophy hunters, including the killing of a protected lion named Cecil by a US dentist.
Newshub.
