South China tiger images acknowledged as fakes

June 2008. A farmer in southern China and several forestry officials have been arrested after images taken in 2007 of a South China tiger (which are thought to be extinct in the wild) were proved to be fakes.

Last year Zhou Zhenlong claimed that he had seen a tiger in the forests of southern China, and that he had taked some 70 photos, and he claimed, and received, some 20,000 yuan ($2,900) as a reward. However many bloggers from around the world, and especially within China, were very sceptical, and pointed out the photographs similarity to a well known poster of a tiger.

Nine months later, officials have admitted that the photos were faked, state media said, quoting a press conference held by the Shaanxi province government.