Zhou Zhenglong, a 54-year-old farmer from a mountainous county in northern Shaanxi province, was awarded a 20,000 yuan bonus last year, after he produced pictures which authorities said were evidence of a South China tiger.
The pictures, which showed a tiger crouching in a forest setting, sparked an Internet furor led by experts who identified the photos as faked, and local media who accused officials of endorsing them as a means of promoting tourism in a poor region.
After months of dithering, authorities finally admitted the pictures were fake and sacked a swag of officials for their part in the scandal.
China has been rocked by a number of scandals involving official endorsement of faked photos.
In February, the chief editor of a Chinese newspaper quit after one of its photographers faked a prize-winning photo of endangered Tibetan antelopes appearing unfazed by a passing train on the Qinghai-Tibet railway.
Source: Reuters
Monday, November 24, 2008
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