The Shaanxi farmer arrested for publishing fake photos of a South China Tiger will stand trial on Tuesday on charges of fraud and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Zhou Zhenglong, a 54-year-old farmer, claimed to have photographed a rare South China tiger in the wild last October. The photos were circulated widely online and aroused hot debate among the public whether there are still South China tigers living in the wild. After a month-long investigation, police found official proof of the photo's inauthenticity.

An article in the Chengdu Business Daily says that the fake photos of the tiger damaged the reputations of the parties involved, so Zhou Zhenglong deserves legal punishment. However, the article argues that other people involved in the scandal should also have to take some responsibility for the matter.

Professional photographers have been quoted as saying that the fake photos couldn't have been edited by a farmer with no professional skills. The evidence shows someone must have been controlling the situation out of the public eye.

The article also says that if the lies had not been exposed, some local government sectors would have benefited greatly. If the tiger photos had been confirmed to be true, the local government could have used them to promote local tourism and gain a 10-million-yuan fund from the Chinese government for their efforts in protecting endangered species.