Phony photo of US soldiers killing lion in Afghanistan goes viral; Update: Original photo of lion identified

As Twitchy reported earlier today, the photo is fake. But that hasn’t stopped scores of Twitter users from disseminating it:

Pathetic US Soldiers killed a rare breed of lion in Eastern Afghanistan, some say the last one!! #لعنت pic.twitter.com/eAvebuaYDS

— Doctor Faisal Ranjha (@fasiranjha) December 25, 2013

https://twitter.com/tribalpost/status/415881744911728641

https://twitter.com/binaemanvel/status/415895361287249922

https://twitter.com/Tahoolahoop/status/415886743398010880

https://twitter.com/Johny_Gorkha/status/415840989232656384

But tax money spent so US troops can kill the last wild lion in Kunar Province, Afghanistan is pretty fucking maddening.

— Bearentined Bear (@GotdamBear) December 25, 2013

https://twitter.com/ICrimes/status/415853470504472576

https://twitter.com/kingSAMIRA/status/415830453094858752

https://twitter.com/EveMadlac/status/415881440312979456

Pathetic US Soldiers killed a rare breed of lion in Eastern Afghanistan, some say the last one!! #لعنت pic.twitter.com/eAvebuaYDS

— Doctor Faisal Ranjha (@fasiranjha) December 25, 2013

https://twitter.com/Torilife2/status/415880672452952064

https://twitter.com/j4k061n/status/415878452437213184

https://twitter.com/SanaRahim/status/415873541280518144

https://twitter.com/sugaryDEMON/status/415860136960593920

[Update]

Twitchy commenter GreenBlue1 has found this photograph of a lion sleeping: