The Spice Girl star took to Instagram on Thursday to share a picture of herself appearing to be posing in the middle of a field with a male lion.

In the bizarre picture, Halliwell could be seen standing just behind the creature in a white dress as she shot a sultry look at the camera.

She captioned the odd snap: “Roar, the fire within you”.

Fans rushed to comment on the picture, with many hitting out at the star for appearing to have been posing next to a real-life lion.

“Is this real? Is this poor creature doped up on tranquillisers to be tame enough for photo shoots?!” wrote one angry fan, with another saying: “Unbreak my heart and tell me this is Photoshopped.”

A third fan ranted: “You should be disgusted using an animal who was clearly sedated in this manner for a photo op!” and was echoed by a fourth who replied: “Doping animals for a photo is barbaric & cruel to say the least!”

In the comments, the photographer who snapped the picture rushed to refute suggestions the snap was real, and told fans it was photoshopped.

“It’s all photoshop – no sedation here but love for your passion for animal rights!” she replied.

However, some weren’t happy with the explanation. In response, another fan said the picture still “glamorises” the animals.

“Hi Geri. Love you. I’m disappointed to see this picture,” moaned another follower. “I am really hoping that it is AI or photoshopped in some way. Even then, still a bit disappointed as it is glamorising (as you are the ultimate glam gal- as I said, love you!) being with these wonderful wild animals and as you know that is not how it should be.”

Meanwhile, while filming her role as judge on The Masked Singer in Australia in July, Halliwell’s pal Mel B said her future plans include an unknown project with all her former bandmates after Victoria Beckham asked them to get together.

“We are doing something together as the Spice Girls and it has always been me kind of championing everybody together,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

Originally published as Geri Halliwell pic slammed as ‘barbaric’ over ‘lion’