RSSNewsletterSiteMapFeedback

Home · Weather · Forum · Learning Chinese · Jobs · Shopping
Search This Site
China | International | Business | Government | Environment | Olympics/Sports | Travel/Living in China | Culture/Entertainment | Books & Magazines | Health
Home / Environment / Policies and Announcements Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Tiger picture controversy elicts no comment apology
Adjust font size:

The Shaanxi Forestry Department, which announced last October that a rare wild South China tiger had been spotted, has said sorry for publicizing the photos, but has said nothing about their authenticity.

An embarrassed department apologized to the public in a letter for "curtly publicizing the discovery of the wild South China tiger" on Monday evening.

"Our department held a press conference on October 12 and announced that the wild South China tiger was sighted in Zhenping county. We publicized two photos taken by local farmer Zhou Zhenglong, which aroused public doubts of the photos' authenticity and caused a national controversy", says the "Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department's letter of Apology to the public".

The letter was sent to Xinhua and other major media in the province by the general affairs office of the provincial government on Monday evening. It didn't mention the authenticity of the photos.

"We didn't report to the superiors according to stipulated procedures and didn't have a spot investigation before we held the press conference. We curtly released the discovery of the South China tiger without substantial proof, which reflects our blundering manner and lax discipline", the letter says.

The general affairs office of the provincial government criticized the department for violating the news release system of the government on Sunday. Normally, the department should report to the provincial publicity department before it holds a press conference.

The Forestry Department said in the press conference that the tiger was snapped by Zhou on October 3 near a cliff, and experts have confirmed that it was a young wild South China tiger. The department also gave Zhou 20,000 yuan (US$2,778) as a prize.

But Internet users and some scientists accused Zhou of making the tiger images with digital software, and local authorities of approving the photographs to bolster tourism.

In December, the State Forestry Administration demanded the provincial forestry department have the photos authenticated by a panel of experts, but no results have been published.

The South China tiger, also called the Amoy or Xiamen tiger, is thought to be the ancestor of all tigers, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

It is considered critically endangered, mainly due to a loss of habitat. By 1996, the tigers numbered only 30 to 80, according to the World Conservation Union's Red List of threatened species.

Today, the tiger is widely believed to be extinct in the wild.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2008)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read

Comment
Username   Password   Anonymous
 
China Archives
Related >>
- Photos of South China Tiger confirmed fake
- Farmer returns to wilderness to prove tiger photo genuine
- South China Tiger: reality or legend?
- Photo of 'extinct' tiger sparks controversy
- South China Tiger Believed Still Exists in Wild
Most Viewed >>
-Snow ravages mountains around Guangdong
-Plants and Animals in China
-Severe winter weather may persist for another week
-Snow ravage causes US$2.25b loss in forestry sector
-Tanks used to deice storm-affected highways
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing sulfur dioxide II
Shanghai particulate matter III1
Guangzhou particulate matter II
Chongqing particulate matter II
Xi'an particulate matter II
Most Read
-Snow ravages mountains around Guangdong
-Plants and Animals in China
-Severe winter weather may persist for another week
-Snow ravage causes US$2.25b loss in forestry sector
-Tanks used to deice storm-affected highways
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base
SiteMap | About Us | RSS | Newsletter | Feedback

Copyright © China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-88828000 京ICP证 040089号