China's State Forestry Administration will not verify the pictures of the South China Tiger but it will properly perform its functions to protect and save wildlife, a spokesman of the administration said at a press conference in Beijing on December 4. By 3 PM the same day, more than 20,000 netizens posted comments on China's most popular websites indicating their discontent toward the administration.

The administration was criticized for dereliction of duty and covering up.

"The State Forestry Administration's reply to the tiger pictures was so disappointing. I think their answer is ambiguous and involves a run-around and a cover up for subordinates," said a netizen in his post.

"I don't see any sense of responsibility from the administration. It is inconceivable that such high level administration has committed such an omission," said another netizen.

A netizen hoped that the proper departments would correctly exercise their rights granted by the people. He said any dereliction of duty would disappoint citizens.

Netizens insist thorough investigation on the pictures to defend government credibility

In fact, some netizens are focusing on the credibility of the Shaanxi Forestry Bureau instead of the authenticity of the pictures. Some of them thought that the credibility of the State Forestry Administration had also been questioned.

Additionally, a netizen insisted that the pictures should be identified and liars and perjurers should be punished. He had hoped that authorities would dabble in the tiger dispute and provide a satisfying, objective and realistic answer.

"The question is not whether the tiger in the pictures is real or not; the real question revolves around government supervision. We wish that the government would be responsible for what they have said. Most of us pay more attention to our government's credibility than to a mere tiger. As Chinese citizens, we hope that we can do our duties to supervise the state power. Only in this way can our democratic rights and the country's long-term stability be guaranteed," a netizen said.

(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, December 5, 2007)