China lays down the law on eating tigers. But what about flies?
A Chinese property developer went to jail this week after killing three tigers, eating their flesh, and apparently storing their penises in his refrigerator.
The wealthy real estate investor from the southern province of Guangxi was only identified by his surname, Xu, in official accounts in the Chinese media, but he was said to have been sentenced to 13 years in jail for having killed three of the endangered animals to indulge in peculiar hobby. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s 4.33 years per tiger.
In an account by Xinhua, Xu was said to enjoy grilling tiger bones, eating tiger meat, and drinking the blood of the big cats. Tiger bones have long been a part of traditional Chinese medicine, and local myths claim that consuming the penis of a tiger enhances male virility, however, no scientific studies support these claims.
Xu was nabbed by the authorities after inviting friends along on his three tiger slaughter expeditions to Leizhou in Guangdong, one of whom filmed the ritual on his cell phone. The businessman was convicted of buying the beasts from animal traders and paying to watch them be killed and dismembered.
Unfortunately for Xu and 15 of his comrades who joined him on his Guangdong journeys, the police in Guangxi got hold of the cell phone video. After finding eight pieces of tiger meat, including a male reproductive organ in the developer’s refrigerator, the whole gang were sentenced for “illegally transporting precious and endangered wild animal products.’
In addition to his 13 years behind bars, Xu was also fined RMB 1.55 million (US$24,900), while his accomplices received jail terms from five to six and a half years.
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