Man Shoots Caged Bear in Myanmar Out of Curiosity During Sightseeing Tour

A Chinese man who murdered a caged bear in Myanmar committed the act because the animal was already scheduled to be executed and because he was "curious," according to a statement released Friday.

The man, who hails from eastern China's Shandong Province, reportedly shot the Asiatic black bear, which is considered an endangered animal species, during a sightseeing tour in Myanmar, the Daily Mail reported. He claims that the bear was going to be killed by officials in the Wa State of Myanmar after it "hurt people."

​​The video [WARNING: GRAPHIC content], shared online Wednesday, shows the man saying, "I told you not to open your mouth. Do that again and I [will] make you surrender."

A few seconds later, the bear was dead.

The South China Morning Post reported that a second video showed the bear's head and a paw as an unidentified person skinned part of the body.

The unidentified shooter later said in his statement that the automatic rifle he used was given to him by officials from the local government, the outlet noted. The shooter chose to release a statement on the matter after online critics "brought trouble to his life."

"Video [of the shooting] was not allowed to be shared," the Daily Mail reported the man saying. "I don't know which tourist sent the video onto the internet in China. I was condemned by the web users."

"Take this as a lesson. Protect animals," the statement added.

It is unclear whether or not any charges will be brought against the man.