Ricky Gervais calls TV hunter Melissa Bachman the C-word over lion kill

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Fri 11/29 4:00 PM EDT (Nick)

Melissa Bachman, the host of "Deadly Passion" on the Pursuit Channel, is drawing ire from all around the world after posting a picture bragging about a lion she killed while hunting in South Africa. Among those she angered was Ricky Gervais, who called out Bachman on Twitter.

"An incredible day hunting in South Africa! Stalked inside 60-yards on this beautiful male lion...what a hunt!" she had tweeted, along with the above picture. "Spot the typo," Gervais responds.

Though African lions are not considered endangered, they still are exotic creatures and the death of one -- especially a male lion -- could cause serious problems in a pack. Numerous petitions have been launched against Bachman, including a change.org one that asks South Africa to ban her from the country. Nearly 280,000 have signed it.

Maroi Conservancy, the conservancy where Bachman hunted, defends the hunt on Facebook.

"We are not apologising for facilitating the hunt. As for all the negative commentary towards us, please consider how much you have contributed to conservation in the past 5 years," the post reads. "If you are not a game farmer and struggling with dying starving animals, poaching and no fences in place to protect your animals and crop, please refrain from making negative degoratory comments. It is so easy to judge if you are staying in cities and towns, buying your meat at 'woolies' and going to game reserves maybe once a year."

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Photo/Video credit: Twitter