Five suspects were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to nine years after they were found guilty of poaching wild animals in northwest China's Gansu Province, a local court said Tuesday.
According to the people's court of Qilian County, the five suspects were involved in the hunting of three snow leopard cubs and the killing of one snow leopard, three snow cocks and two blue sheep in the border area of Qilian County in Qinghai and Sunan County of Gansu Province in 2014.
Snow leopards are a first class protected animal and the other two are second class protected animals.
Besides the prison terms, each of the convicted must pay fines of up to 10,000 yuan (1,499.5 U.S. dollars). All their hunting equipment and illegal gains were confiscated.
