”MADE IN CHINA” Ping.
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Posted on 12/04/2007 3:09:50 AM PST by JACKRUSSELL
(BEIJING) -- Chinese government officials have refused to concede photographs of a rare South China tiger in the wild are fake, a day after the China Photographers Society confirmed the images were not real.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, State Forestry Administration spokesman Cao Qingyao reserved judgment on the authenticity of the controversial pictures which have caused a storm on the Internet, saying more concrete evidence was needed.
In October, a farmer from Zhenping County, in north China's Shaanxi Province, claimed he had snapped some photos of a tiger in the forest near his home. The provincial forestry bureau later cited experts as saying that it was a South China tiger, a tiger subspecies believed to have been extinct in the wild for more than three decades.
However, many scientists and Internet users have denounced the pictures as fake. Last month, one netizen posted online a picture of a tiger from a New Year calendar that hung in his home, claiming the two tigers were identical.
Cao said an expert panel, which was dispatched to Zhenping County last month, would wait until the first snowfall to carry out a field investigation.
"When it snows, it will be easier to locate the tigers, if there are any, because tigers have a tawny coat and will have to come out hunting for food," an employee of the administration, who refused to give his name, told Xinhua when contacted by phone.
"The special investigation team consists of 10 experienced experts in tigers and large feline animals, selected by the administration," said Cao.
The experts will erect infrared cameras to "take photos of and collect more traces of various wild animals" - including South China tigers, leopards and black bears - in an area of 200,000 hectares defined by the administration, said Cao.
"We will announce the investigation results to the public in time," he said.
In a nationwide wildlife investigation during 1999-2000, the administration detected 48 traces of the possible existence of wild South China tigers and the on-going investigation is regarded as a follow-up.
It is believed that if South China tigers are still living in the wild, the number would not exceed 30. The tigers in captivity only number 60 at present.
Zhenping County was historically one of the habitats of the South China tigers, said Cao. "The special investigation by the provincial forestry bureau from June 2006 to February 2007 did discover some traces of wild South China tigers, but they are not enough to treat as fact."
"So, whether the tiger on the photo is real or not, it's still difficult to evaluate the situation of the tigers at large in the area."
As for the provincial forestry department which insists that the tigers exist in Zhenping County, Cao said, "We believe the provincial government and forestry bureau will take the public's skepticism scientifically and seriously."
Zhu Lieke, deputy director of the administration, wrapped up the press conference with an apparent attempt to diffuse the fiery debate, asking if the reporters present had visited a national museum near Loch Ness in Scotland.
"There are a lot of photographs of the Loch Ness monster in the museum. People care about the existence of the monster rather than the authenticity of the photos," he said.
Who claims to have taken the pictures?
Dan Rather?
Fake but accurate.
Never say never. Even here in central Texas, I’ve seen species of animals I’ve never seen before. (lived here most of my life.)
Development has invaded these animal’s habitats, forcing them out into the open.
Was the tiger on the moon?
The Chinese denial is completely typical and by the book. First, immediately claim that the accuser is wrong. Other steps include invoking “experts” in an extreme version of the Appeal To Authority Fallacy (”you are not an expert, therefore you are wrong; I am an expert therefore I am correct”).
Look for them to redefine the special characteristics of a “South China Tiger” before it’s all said and done.
No, he was at Kinko’s, making Xerox copies of his face.
Fake but accurate. Very popular these days.
CNN: Well, they might be plants, but the questions were good.
THEY'RRRRRRE GREAT!
“In October, A FARMER from Zhenping County, in north China’s Shaanxi Province, claimed he had snapped some photos of a tiger in the forest near his home.”
lol! hold up for a second... so rural farmers in red china are running around with kodaks on their off-hours, snapping pics of the wildlife?? riiiiigggghhhhttt...
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