Tiger Zhou sent to prison

aiguo512

Zhou Zhenglong, the farmer who forged photos to support his claim of discovering an endangered South China Tiger in Shaanxi, was found guilty of fraud and illegal possession of a firearm yesterday. The Xunyang County sentenced him to two and half years in jail plus a 2,000-yuan fine. He also has to return the 20,000 yuan prize he received for his photos from the local government.

Hao Jinsong, the lawyer who sued Zhou last year for "depriving his right to know" was kept out of court during yesterday's trial. A photo showing Hao holding up an umbrella reading "Zhou Zhenglong=Scapegoat" appears in the newspaper.The court also denied the request of Zhou's wife to observe the trial.

Although Zhou testified that he concocted the fake photos on his own, Internet opinion doubts that a farmer who doesn't even know how to use a computer could have created a photo professional enough to fool the experts.

周老虎——现形——记