A food blogger in China is being investigated by police after she shared footage of herself cooking and eating a great white shark.
The woman, who is known as Tizi, has more than 7.8 million followers on Chinese streaming site Douyin.
In a video shared on the site, Tizi can be seen collecting the two-metre-long shark at a seafood shop in Nanchong before unwrapping it.
In the clip, Tizi said: “It may look vicious, but its meat is truly super tender.”
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Tizi goes on to cut the fish in half, before barbecuing its tail and boiling its head in a broth.
She shares the meal with local villagers who all praise the food, while Tizi said: “This is so yummy!”
Tizi claimed the creature was a hooktooth shark that was ‘bred in captivity’ and is ‘edible’.
However, following a backlash online, police in Nanchong launched an investigation and claimed it was actually a great white shark - a protected species in China.
The video has since been removed, according to South China Morning Post.
State-run news outlet Fengmian News reported that the shark wasn’t bought from the place she was videoed picking it up from and claimed it was only used as a venue for the video shoot.
Tizi has denied the claims and says she is hiring a lawyer over the allegations.
Speaking to local news outlet Red Star News she said: “I bought it legally and I am looking for a lawyer. These people were talking nonsense.”
In China, those found guilty of the unlawful trading of animal or wildlife products can be jailed.
State-run publication The Paper, has called for a ‘crackdown’ following the video being shared online.
An editorial that ran on its website read: “It cannot be excluded that there is a black market. After all, to ship a big shark from the coastal region to Nanchong [an inland city more than 1,100 miles away], it requires coordination.
“We must harshly crack down on the illegal hunting and trade of endangered wildlife and eliminate the criminal chain.”
Social media users have slammed Tizi for her clips, with one writing: “I’ve seen her videos before. They were outrageous. She also ate a crocodile and a golden giant salamander. It was extremely disturbing.”
Another wrote: “She literally eats anything to grab eyeballs. I was horrified when seeing her eat a crocodile tail once.”
Topics: World News, China, Animals
Claire Reid