Self-styled 'hardcore huntress' sparks outrage after posting picture of herself with male lion she shot dead on Twitter as thousands sign petition to ban her from South Africa

• Melissa Bachman presents a series called Winchester Deadly Passion about hunting
• The 'hardcore huntress' posted a picture of herself with a lion she killed on Twitter 
• The reaction was immediate condemnation
• A petition to prevent her from returning to South Africa, where she shot the lion, has been signed more than 13,000 times

TV presenter Melissa Bachman raised ire when she posted a photo of a mature male lion she allegedly shot and killed on Twitter and Facebook.
Within hours of the post, an online petition by Cape Town resident Elan Burman asking the South African government to ban Bachman from ever returning to the country was launched. 
The picture depicts Bachman crouching over the carcass of a male lion with its eyes closed, paws either side of its head, as she holds her gun and smiles toothily. 

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Uproar: Bachman was forced to make her social media accounts private after sparking a furor with this photo of herself with a lion she shot dead

'An incredible say hunting in South Africa!' she tweeted. 'Stalked inside 60 yards on the this beautiful male lion... what a hunt!'

The post provoked a furious response from many Twitter users, who called her 'disgusting' and 'vile.'

At the time of writing, Burman's petition had 18,891 signatures. 

'She is an absolute contradiction to the culture of conservation this country prides itself on,' wrote Burman.

VIDEO  Self-styled hunter kills a gator and shows off the kill (video censored)

YouTube: Melissa Bachman

Not welcome: Many in South Africa are seeking to prevent Bachman from returning to their shores, and more than 13,000 have signed this petition

Earning stripes: Bachman poses with her gun over the corpse of a zebra

Outrage: Bachman's hunting exploits have earned her some very vocal critics who were quick to denounce her for killing a lion today

Deadly passion: The 'Trophy Room' section of Bachman's website has 65 photographs of her posing with different dead animals

Signatory Richard Robinson wrote, 'You didn't kill a lion, you stood behind a machine and pulled a little trigger, you pathetic, sad excuse of a human.'

The African lion is considered a vulnerable species. Numbers are rapidly declining due to loss of habitat and conflict with humans. 

However, hunting lions is legal in several countries, including South Africa where Bachman bagged her big male. 

Spot the typo: Ricky Gervais joined the many Twitter users who condemned Bachman

Hardcore huntress: Bachman says she has been hunting since she was a small child

Thrill kill: Detractors say Bachman is a 'heartless trophy hunter'

Big game: Bachman works as writer, producer and star of the series Winchester Deadly Passion

Bachman's social media pages and website reveal an array of huge beasts that have died after coming in contact with her. The 'Trophy Room' section of her website features a grinning Bachman with dead deer, antelope, alligators, turkeys and hogs.

This latest furor is not the first time Bachman has run afoul of anti-hunting groups.

Last year, she was slated to appear on the National Geographic Channel's Ultimate Survivor Alaska but was dropped after a Change.org petition that called Bachman a 'contracted trophy killer' was signed more than 13,000 times in less than 24 hours.

Twitter tirade: Bachman has disabled her Twitter account since the posting went viral

On the fly: No game is too small for Bachman to take aim at

Minnesota-based Bachman, whose blog includes posts such as 'Why every girl should try bowhunting' and 'Stupid hunting regulations I just can't stand,' is the host of a television series called Winchester Deadly Passion.

In each episode, she travels to a locale and hunts its native animals with a variety of weapons including her beloved bow and arrow.

Lourens Mostert, a manager at the Maroi conservancy where Bachman shot the lion said the hunt was legal. 

'If it isn't right to hunt these lions, why does out government legally give us permission?' he told the Daily Telegraph. 

'This is not the only lion that has been hunted in South Africa this year.'