(ECNS) -- A worker at Bifengxia Panda Base in southwest China has been accused of selling national-level protected animals, though he has denied all allegations.
The controversy started on Sunday when a Weibo user called "Huazai-chasun" (referred to as Huazai) exposed the "crime" of the Panda breeder, surnamed He, in more than 10 posts. Huazai claimed that He had been "killing law-protected animals and eating them," along with photos and their exchanges as evidence.
One of the photos captured a social media post by He. In the picture, an eagle-like bird appeared standing on his shoulder. The caption written by He implies the bird will "go somewhere else" and that he would "buy it back some day." The comment area shows exchanges between He and his friends, which suggests the bird is now kept by a friend and that He had to give up the bird due to financial strain.
In other photos, He appears with different birds. Some online eagle fans have identified the birds as species under national-level protection. Under current laws, illegally dealing or shipping these animals would incur a jail term of up to 10 years, or above, in the case of extremely severe violations.
He's co-workers confirmed that he had a particular interest in training eagles and made a lot of friends within the circle.
A local newspaper reached Huazai, who's currently based in America. Huazai admitted that He used to be his net-pal due to a shared interest in birds, adding that he couldn't tolerate He's actions anymore and had to speak out.
According to Huazai, after his accusation, He explained to him in private exchanges that all the birds were injured, and that he would send them back to the sky after they recover. Huazai didn't buy the story.
For his part, He told the newspaper that Huazai's accusations might be revenge for a personal issue between them, which Huazai reckoned as a ridiculous excuse.
As the spat continues, the Panda base has stepped in to probe for the true story. The newspaper has now lost contact with He both through phone calls and Internet.
