On November 22 Zhu Julong, vice director of Shaanxi Forestry
Office, displayed 71 original pictures of a South China tiger to
prove that the pictures are not reworked images based on a
commercial New Year picture of a tiger.
Original editions make their debut
Zhu Julong unveiled all the original pictures of the South China
tiger, reportedly taken by a farmer in Shannxi Province a month
ago. Last week, a netizen posted a commercial New Year picture of a
tiger that hangs on the wall of his home. The netizen claimed that
the farmer's pictures are fakes.
Zhu also carefully compared the differences between the original
editions and the New Year picture. "If the photos were modeled on
the New Year picture, how can we explain the differences in the
tiger's appearance?" Zhu asked.
Police investigation may follow
The photographer, a farmer named Zhou Zhenglong, reported to the
police that he had been falsely accused. The local police took his
statement and asked Zhou to wait.
"This means that the New Year picture and all the original
photos will be under the supervision of the police staff. The
controversy will come to an end after the investigation by the
police is finished," Guan Ke, director of the Information Center of
Shaanxi Province, said.
Dispute between the pros and cons
"We believe that the pictures are valid and real after making
the identification. At least we have not found any relative
evidence to say that the pictures are counterfeit," Guan stated. He
also emphasized that the Shaanxi Forestry Office is the most
authoritative departmental office in identifying animal resources
in Shannxi Province.
But Liu Lin, who has been engaged in photographic studies for
quite a long time, is still skeptical about the farmer's
photographs. Liu has raised doubts about their authenticity in
terms of color, proportion and clarity.
(China.org.cn, by Yang Xi, November 23, 2007)
