Four Chinese were arrested for killing more than 40 rare tortoises for meat in Zimbabwe and they are facing deportation.
The four Chinese men: Zhang Hong Yuan, Chen Caijan, Lin Guibin and Shi Jiahua were arrested in a village in Bikita in southeastern Zimbabwe on Thursday, following a raid by theZimbabwepolice and parks and wildlife authorities.
Investigators found skeletal remains of 40 tortoises and 13 live tortoises stored in steel drums without water or food. The four are charged with “extreme cruelty” to animals and are now detained pending deportation.
The tortoise is listed as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
“The tortoises were dropped alive in boiling water to separate the shell and the flesh.” said the villagers.
For many Chinese rich people, the best way to demonstrate new wealth and power in China is to eat something rare, something potentially illegal, which is considered a sign of “Class” in China.
