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BEIJING - TWO herdsmen have been jailed in China for killing a
rare snow leopard after setting a trap for wild animals that preyed
on their sheep, state media reported on Sunday.
The herdsmen were sentenced to eight and 10 years in prison for
killing the snow leopard in the northwestern region of Xinjiang by
the Manas County People's Court on Feb 28.
They were convicted of illegally catching and killing rare and
endangered wild animals, local official Yang Jianwei told the
official news agency Xinhua. They were also fined an unspecified
amount.
When the snow leopard was caught, they stoned it to death and
gave its fur, bones and internal organs to others.
Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres above sea
level in the rocky mountains in central and south Asia.
It is estimated that only four or five thousand exist in the
wild. In China, they can be found in Xinjiang, Qinghai Province and
Tibet Autonomous Region, the agency said. -- AFP
