'Curious' Tourist Kills Endangered Black Bear During Sightseeing Tour

A disturbing video shows a man with a rifle shooting a caged black bear. According to a statement released Friday, the Chinese man killed the endangered animal because he was "curious."

The incident took place during a sightseeing tour in Myanmar. The man, who has not been identified, said he shot the bear dead after he gained permission from the government in Myanmar's Wa State, which borders China, Beijing News reported. He also claimed that the local government provided the weapon he used to kill the animal.

The video, shared online Wednesday, shows the man saying, "I told you not to open your mouth. Do that again and I [will] make you surrender." He then shot the bear with the gun and the animal fell to the ground.

The video showing the man shooting the animal was believed to be shot by another tourist in the same group. Later in the video, a man could be seen cutting fur off a dead bear.

The shooter decided to release a statement on the matter after he was slammed by online critics, who he said "brought trouble to his life." According to the man, the bear was about to be executed by the local government after hurting people.

"Video [of the shooting] was not allowed to be shared," the Daily Mail quoted the man saying. "I don't know which tourist sent the video onto the internet in China. I was condemned by the web users."

At the end of his statement, the man called on the public to protect animals. He said: "Take this as a lesson. Protect animals. Start from ourselves."

According to an expert, the bear that was killed was an endangered Asiatic black bear. The species is listed as Appendix I — the highest category for endangered species — by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments aimed to protect endangered animals and plants. Asiatic black bears are illegally traded for their body parts throughout Asia, including Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.