According to reports, the man said that he committed the act out of curiosity while he was on a sightseeing tour in Myanmar.

As reported by Daily Mail,

The man, who hails from eastern China’s Shandong Province, claimed that he shot the Asiatic black bear because the animal was already scheduled to be executed by the local government of Wa State in Myanmar.

The shooter’s name has not been revealed and he has also claimed that the automatic rifle used to kill the bear was given to him by the local authorities.

The video was reportedly shot by another tourist and it soon went viral on Chinese social media. 

In another video released by Beijing News, several bear paws and its head could be seen lying on the ground near the cage. An unidentified man could be seen cutting fur off a dead bear later in the video.

Later, the man from eastern China’s Shandong province claimed responsibility for the incident and issued a statement. He said that the video of the shooting was not meant to be shared on social media.

I don’t know which tourist sent the video onto the internet in China. I was condemned by the web users. I would like to clarify the matter.’

He further added, “Take this as a lesson. Protect animals.” 

Warning: Disturbing content.

Asiatic Bear is listed in Appendix I of CITES, and the inhuman and ill-reasoned killing has attracted sharp reactions on social media.