‘It looks like he slipped and fell when he was out hunting’: Reviled lion killer falls to his death

The veterinarian who became famous for shooting big game animals is dead himself after falling into a ravine while on a hunt.

Luciano Ponzetto, 55, was pummeled with hate mail and death threats after posting photos that showed him standing next to the lifeless bodies of beautiful rare animals all over the world. The Italian man slipped on the ice while hunting birds in Turin, Italy and reportedly fell 100 feet to his death, The Sun reported.

"We were called by the mountain rescue services who had been alerted to the incident by someone who was out with him," police told The Sun. "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."

Despite the backlash, Ponzetto vowed that he would hunt big game animals until laws were changed that prevented him.

[caption id="attachment_949009" align="aligncenter" width="239"] Luciano Ponzetto poses with cheetah he killed (Photo: Luciano Ponzetto)[/caption]