Posted:2007-6-1|Source:Panda Paws|No. of Views:
Below is a very sad story of a giant panda's tragic death which took place in May 2003. Let's all mourn for this giant panda.
May 2003 - Young Panda Killed for Skin by Peasant in Chinese Mountains
Police investigators in China found the skin of a young panda in a taxi at a highway toll station between Sichuan's provincial city of Chengdu and Chongqing municipality last November, Sing Tao Daily reported. The discovery was the result of a tip-off and resulted in the arrest of
six suspects in connection with the crime and illegal sale.
Giant pandas are an endangered species estimated to include only about 1,000 individuals in the wild. Commercial trading of the animal and its products has been banned since 1984. Although the giant panda's largest threat is considered loss of habitat due to human development, the illegal killing of wild pandas for trade is still a factor in its population decline.
Sichuan peasant Yang Shicheng reportedly captured the young giant panda while
hunting for wild fowl in the mountains. According to reports, he spotted three giant pandas and upon pursuit, two of the older animals managed to run away while the youngest one scrambled up a tree.
Giant pandas are very agile climbers and use this ability to avoid predators on the ground. In this case, however, the panda's tree-climbing strategy proved futile because the hunter
shot down the animal before strangling it and skinning it. Six months later, he sold the skin to another peasant for $240, who, in turn, sold it to another peasant for $21,800. By the time the skin reached Chongqing, its price-tag had reached $65,905.
The six people arrested in connection with the crime face
up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
