Local authorities in southwest China are investigating an influencer suspected of eating an endangered great white shark in a video, the South China Morning Post reported. The agency said police in Nanchong, a city in China’s Sichuan province, opened an investigation into a video posted on July 12 by a streamer known only as Tizi, who has 7.8 million followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of of TikTok. The video reportedly showed the streamer eating a 50-kilogram (110-pound) fish that some believed to be a shark and saying, “That’s so delicious” in Mandarin. The video no longer appears to be available for viewing, but clips uploaded by other YouTubers and Douyin show the streamer lying next to what appears to be a shark before cutting it up and placing it on a grill. She can then be seen repeatedly biting a tail-like piece of meat at the end of the clip. SCMP said people who watched the original video were concerned that the animal in the clip resembled a great white shark, which is an endangered species, and called on local authorities to investigate the streamer. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists great white sharks as a “vulnerable” species in need of protection, and trading in these sharks requires a permit. Illegal trade in wildlife products is punishable by fines or prison terms in China under the country’s wildlife protection laws. On August 1, The Times of London reported that Tizi was still under investigation and that Nanchong police had determined that the animal in the video was a great white shark. The agency did not specify the source of this information. Local authorities did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for updates on their investigation. SCMP reported that the streamer denied buying the animal illegally and said in an interview with news app Sichuan Red Star News, “I bought it legally and I’m looking for a lawyer. These people were talking nonsense.” Insider was unable to access the interview. According to SCMP, Tizi was known for posting mukbang videos, where creators participate in extreme food challenges. The outlet reported that the streamer often ate rare and obscure foods on camera, such as crocodiles and ostriches. Tizi’s account appears to have been deleted by Douyin, and SCMP reported that the influencer deleted all of her previous videos after criticism of her became widespread among Chinese social media users. Insider was unable to reach her for comment. Influencers in China have faced backlash and punishment for filming mukbang videos involving endangered animals in the past. In May 2021, a food blogger from Hainan province was arrested for allegedly eating an endangered sea snail, according to a report by China Central Television. For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider’s Digital Culture team here.
