Vet Who Posed Next To Trophy Kills Falls 100ft To His Death During A Hunt

A vet who gained notoriety after posing next to animals he'd hunted - including a lion - has died while on a hunt.

Luciano Ponzetto, 55, was hunting birds in Italy when the accident occurred. He slipped on some ice while in the hills above Turin and fell into a ravine in the Colle delle Oche, reports Metro.

An Italian police spokesman said: "We were called by the mountain rescue services who had been alerted to the incident by someone who was out with him.

"His body was recovered by helicopter and taken to a local hospital.

"It looks like he slipped and fell when he was out hunting. He died instantly and there was nothing that could be done."

He became infamous after his social media posts went viral, with many animal-lovers sending death threats and hate mail.

The image which offended most was one of him posing next to a lion. Many people associated the image with the death of Cecil the lion, although he was killed by a different hunter.

At the time, Ponzetto's spokesperson had claimed that they would take legal action against any media who ran the story as it was 'ruining his reputation'. Images of the vet with a hog, deer and a leopard also circulated online.

Featured image credit: Instagram

Topics: Animal

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

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