In China, killing a panda is punishable by death. Prior to 2011, even smuggling a panda could yield such a harsh penalty.
In 1987, the Chinese government warned citizens that killing a giant panda could results in long jail terms or even the death penalty. As recent as 2011, merely smuggling a panda could also result in a death sentence.
In a 1987 UPI news item, it was reported:
The Supreme People’s Court has warned that killing one of China’s rare giant pandas may be punishable by execution, the Xinhua News Agency said.
In a circular issued recently, the Supreme People’s Court ordered local courts to impose more severe penalties for killing pandas, ranging from a jail term of at least 10 years to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Several people have recently been convicted of killing giant panda or smuggling their skins for “personal gains,” Xinhua quoted a judge as saying. He did not say what penalties were imposed on the offenders.
In 2011, thirteen offenses were removed from the death penalty list in China, including the smuggling of precious or rare animals.
Sources
- Killing pandas punishable by death, Chinese warned (UPI, The Pittsburgh Press: October 3, 1987)
- 13 crimes removed from death penalty list (Zhao Yinan, China Daily: February 26, 2011)
