CHENGDU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A male tourist has been banned from entering the Mount Emei scenic area in southwest China's Sichuan Province for three years after a video showing him pushing a Tibetan macaque near a roadside railing sparked public outrage online, local authorities said Thursday.
The video, widely circulated on Chinese social media since Tuesday, appeared to show a monkey sitting on a roadside railing and eating a tangerine near the Leidongping area of the scenic area. A man in black rushed forward and pushed the animal with both hands, nearly knocking it off the railing, before fleeing laughing.
The footage prompted a wave of criticism from internet users, many of whom said the man's behavior was improper and dangerous. Some comments said they were "on the monkey's side this time," while others described the act as showing disregard for life.
In a statement released Thursday, the Mount Emei scenic area said the incident took place on the afternoon of May 4 in the Leidongping area. The statement clarified that the location was not a dangerous cliff section as had been suggested in some online posts.
The scenic area said it had identified the man and verified his identity. The man admitted wrongdoing and apologized during an investigation by police, forestry and other relevant authorities, according to the statement.
Authorities said the man's behavior violated regulations related to wildlife protection. Under local rules on tourist conduct in the Mount Emei scenic area, he has been placed on a blacklist for uncivilized behavior and barred from entering the scenic area for three years.
The Tibetan macaque is a species under second-class national protection in China. The scenic area has about 500 wild macaques in around 15 groups.
Guo Gang, a Sichuan-based lawyer, said that if such behavior resulted in the death of a protected wild animal, the person responsible could face administrative penalties, including fines, and possible criminal liability if the case met the relevant legal threshold. However, tourists would not bear liability if they acted in an emergency to protect themselves from an animal attack, Guo said.
The scenic area has long prohibited tourists from feeding, teasing, touching, chasing, frightening or attacking wild monkeys. In its statement, visitors are urged to follow regulations, keep a safe distance from wild animals, and refrain from feeding, provoking or harming them. ■
