A court in China has sentenced Kang Wannian to 12 years in prison for shooting to death an Indo-Chinese tiger in southwest China in February, Xinhua news agency reported.
The court has also ordered him to pay a fine of some $14,600 and a compensation for state economic losses of about $70,300.
"He shot to death what he claimed an 'unspecified animal' after dark while in a hunt with Gao Zuqiao for a kind of frog in the Xishuangbanna national nature reserve in February. The two fled the scene after learning the animal was a tiger," the agency said.
However, the agency said, Gao and six other local villagers returned the next day and dissected the tiger's body for eating.
Wannian, who surrendered to police in June, was found guilty of killing a rare animal and illegal possession of guns, while Gao was sentenced to four years in prison and was ordered to pay a fine of some $3,000.
MOSCOW, December 22 (RIA Novosti)
