Fake wildlife dinner leads to jail

A person who put photos of what appeared to be a dinner featuring protected wildlife in China has been detained for five days in Hunan's capital, Changsha, reports Beijing Youth Daily.

File photo of pangolins. [File Photo: thepaper.cn]

Police in Changsha have since determined the photo, showing a meal said to consist of pangolins, bear's paws, sharks and crocodiles was faked.

The post, put out on the Lunar New Year's Eve, drew heavy online attention, and also prompted an investigation by the State Forestry Administration.

The person who faked the photo and posted it online has been detained for five days for disturbing public order. The person has also been forced to issue a public apology.

Bears and pangolins are nationally protected animals. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, all eight known species of pangolin in Asia and Africa are vulnerable, with their numbers declining rapidly.

Many in Asia still believe the animals contain medicinal qualities.