Wang Yuying, 57 and a native of Daqing, a city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined 20,000 yuan, after being convicted of illegally purchasing rare and endangered wildlife products.

The ruling was handed down recently by the People's Court of Longfeng District, Daqing.

The court was told that Wang bought a South China tiger skin from an antique market in Sa'ertu District of Daqing for 35,000 yuan in 2004 and hid it in a factory warehouse in Longfeng District.

Wang decided to sell the tiger skin but was charged last September by forestry police who received a tip.

Lab work conducted by the Wildlife and Plant Testing Center with the State Forestry Bureau proves the skin belonged to that of a south China tiger which is under top state protection in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2007)