Sixteen years ago, on June 29, 2008 (the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar), the so-called "South China Tiger Photo" taken by the veteran hunter Zhou Zhenglong.
1. Background of the event
The South China tiger, the only tiger species native to China, was once widely distributed in central and southern China. However, due to historical reasons and the influence of human activities, the population of the South China tiger has declined sharply and is now listed as a national first-class protected animal. Against this backdrop, any discovery and reporting of the South China tiger has attracted widespread attention.
2. Causes of the incident
On October 12, 2007, the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department published photographs of South China tigers taken by local villager Zhou Zhenglong, claiming to have found traces of wild South China tigers in Zhenping County. The news quickly sparked a lot of media and public attention, and there was a lot of anticipation for the possible presence of wild South China tigers.
3. Doubts and disputes
However, with the release of the photos, doubts followed. Some netizens, South China Tiger experts and experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences questioned the authenticity of the photos, believing that the photos were suspicious and may have been tampered with or forged. These doubts mainly focus on the six doubts of the tiger picture, including the tiger's posture and environmental background.
Bai Shaokang, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Public Security Department, who was involved in the investigation of the "South China Tiger Photo Incident," said that the South China Tiger taken by Zhou Zhenglong on October 3 last year was a tiger painting.
According to Bai Shaokang, the public security department confirmed after reconstructing the scene of the "Shooting Tiger" during the investigation that Zhou Zhenglong was about 3.9 meters away from the "Tiger" at the closest distance and 10.5 meters away from the "Tiger" when he filmed, which fundamentally overturned the basis for the authenticity of Zhou Zhenglong's photographing live wild South China tigers. In the later investigation, Zhou Zhenglong confessed the facts of his crime of using tiger paintings to take photos of South China tigers in order to defraud money.
According to Zhou Zhenglong's confession: In 2006, when he was a guide for the South China Tiger Survey Team in Shaanxi Province, Zhou Zhenglong listened to the members of the survey team that if he could photograph the footprints, feces and hair of South China Tigers, he could get a reward of 1,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan; If you take a photo of a live wild South China tiger, you can get a reward of more than 1 million yuan, which touches it a lot. Especially around August last year, the Zhenping County Government issued a certificate of honor and a bonus of 1,000 yuan to him as a guide to the investigation team, which further stimulated Zhou Zhenglong's desire to take tiger photos and obtain benefits.
According to Zhou Zhenglong's confession, public security officers in Shaanxi Province extracted from his home a tiger painting and a wooden tiger claw mold that he used to take fake tiger photos on October 3 last year. Another identical tiger painting purchased at the same time was extracted from the home of Cao, who provided him with a tiger painting.
The "freaks" of tiger photos concocted by Zhou Zhenglong have always permeated the desire of some people in the Zhenping County Government and the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department to "seek tigers" from the gestation, generation, and evolution.
After the truth of the "South China Tiger Photo Incident" was revealed, people reflected on the process of the paper tiger rising from an individual behavior to a government behavior, and it was the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department's eagerness for quick success and hasty release of information that laid the "bane".
As a sensational national "Shaanxi found wild South China tiger" major news, in October last year, from Zhou Zhenglong claimed to have photographed a wild South China tiger, to the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department released this information, only 10 days passed.
4. Government response and investigation
In the face of doubts, the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department took a positive response. They organized experts to identify the photos and showed the relevant materials of the tiger photos on October 29, once again proving the authenticity of the tiger photos. In addition, the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department also issued the "Report on the Investigation of South China Tigers in Zhenping County, Shaanxi Province", which recognized the previous identification results and determined that the South China tigers photographed by Zhou Zhenglong were real wild South China tigers.
However, with the deepening of the investigation and the emergence of the New Year's Tiger, doubts rose again. After November 15, public and media opinion began to show a one-sided trend, demanding that the government conduct further investigation and explanation of the authenticity of the tiger photos. At this stage, the government mainly adopted countermeasures such as-for-tat, changing concepts, and shirking responsibility.
On June 29, Xu Chunhua (second from right), spokesman of the Shaanxi Provincial Government and head of the General Office of the Provincial Government, Bai Shaokang (first from right), spokesman and deputy director of the Provincial Public Security Department, and Yue Chong (second from left), spokesman and deputy director of the Provincial Supervision Department, reported on the investigation and handling of the "South China Tiger Photo Incident".
On June 29, the Information Office of the Shaanxi Provincial Government officially announced: "South China Tiger Photo" is a paper tiger.
5. The attitude of the State Forestry Administration
At the national level, the State Forestry Administration has not taken a direct stance on the authenticity of the South China tiger photos. They say that the authenticity of the photos is not their focus, but more important is to assess the survival of wild South China tigers in the area. Therefore, they decided to organize experts to go to the local area to conduct a special survey on the status of wild South China tiger resources.
6. Follow-up development
With the deepening of the investigation and the continuous attention of the media, the South China tiger photo incident gradually entered a period of collective aphasia. The Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department has remained silent about the authenticity of the tiger photos, while the public and media have turned their attention to the conservation and ecological protection of wild South China tigers.
In the end, the paper tiger photographed by the old hunter Zhou Zhenglong was hastily released by the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Department in the name of "live tiger", and the controversy caused lasted for more than 8 months. According to the results of an investigation released by the Shaanxi provincial government on June 29, it was confirmed that the photo of the South China tiger was indeed faked by Zhou Zhenglong. On June 28, Zhou Zhenglong, who was suspected of fraud, was submitted to the procuratorate by the public security organs for approval of arrest.
7. Summary
Although the South China tiger photo incident did not reach a clear conclusion in the end, it has aroused the attention of the whole society to the conservation of wild South China tigers. Through this event, we have become more aware of the importance of protecting wildlife and the ecological environment. At the same time, the incident also reminds us that we need to be more cautious and objective in disseminating information and guiding public opinion, so as to avoid misleading the public and causing adverse effects.