Horrendous images of an Asiastic Black Bear being shot and killed at point blank range by a tourist caused worldwide disgust at the end of December. The man, armed with a machine gun, coldly killed the bear, who was trapped in a cage in Wa state, Myanmar.The man claimed that the local authorities had given him permission to slaughter the black bear, and even provided him with the weapon.
Source: Patriot China
While on holiday in the state, which borders China, he learned that the animal was about to be put down, and asked if he could do it himself. A video of the horrific event appeared on Chinese social media on December 27, which showed the man yelling at the bear 'not to open [its] mouth', before shooting it in the head.
Source: Patriot China
After a wave of anger was unleashed by horrified viewers towards the man, who is from Shandong province in China, he tried to explain himself to the media:
Video [of the shooting] was not allowed to be shared. I don't know which tourist sent the video onto the internet in China. I was condemned by the web users. I would like to clarify the matter.
Source: Patriot China
He finished by saying "take this as a lesson. Protect animals. Start from ourselves." At the time of writing, Chinese authorities haven't taken him into custody.
Asiatic Black Bears, also known as Tibetan Black Bears, are classed as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN and an endangered species by CITES, which regulates animal trade.Several countries, such as Japan, have taken steps to protect them.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
Despite this, they are still prime targets for poaching, as many parts of the black bear's body are used in traditional Chinese medicine. The paws, teeth and bile - recovered from nightmarish bile farms - are sold as 'cures' or ingredients, often on the black market.
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