Businessman eats, brews wine from tigers

A court has rejected an appeal by a Chinese businessman identified by his surname as Xu, who was jailed for 13 years for eating three tigers, reported state media agency Xinhua.

The case heard by the Qinzhou City intermediate People's Court also implicates 14 other people.

Xu was accused of buying tigers between March and May last year that were killed by electric shock. He said he paid $70 957 for each tiger that is suspected to have been smuggled into the country.

Xu was arrested after one of his deals was recorded by someone. He was sentenced in April to 13 years and his accomplices were imprisoned ranging from five to six years.

According to Aljazeera, Xinhua reported in June when Xu first went on trial that he likes grilling tiger bones, boning tiger paws, storing tiger penis, eating tiger meat and drinking tiger blood alcohol.

Some Chinese believed that tiger meat have health-giving properties, including to work as an aphrodisiac, according to Reuters.

It added that this may likely have given rise to a increase in trade of tiger products.

China is believed to be the world's largest consumer of illegal wildlife products. It has especially been highlighted in a campaign against the killing of rhino for their horns, which is believed to hold medicinal powers and the ability to act as an aphrodisiac.

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