Tizi is a Chinese blogger known for her food-related content.
On her videos, we see her tasting strange animals, sometimes still alive.
This summer, she alienated social media, animal rights activists and the police after sharing a new video of her tasting a great white shark, a protected species.
Authorities have opened an investigation.
The images show the young woman grilling, boiling and then tasting the meat of the great predator.
They provoked outraged reactions on the Chinese internet.
Police in Nanchong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province confirmed on Sunday that it was indeed a great white shark, according to Chinese media Fengmian.
Chinese Food Blogger TIZI halved, barbecued and ate a Great White Shark.#Tizi #foodblogger #China #GreatWhite #sharks #Coronavirus #Wuhan pic.twitter.com/4T29uzyiTv
— Saia Fishnet (@saiafishnet) August 2, 2022
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"The meat is very tender," Tizi says in this video posted online in mid-July, while feasting on large chunks of grilled flesh.
In these images, widely republished by the Chinese media and Internet users, we see the young woman unpack the two-meter-long fish and lie down next to it to emphasize its large size.
The shark is then halved, marinated and barbecued, while the head is cooked in a spicy broth – classic preparation methods for fish in China.
Up to 10 years in prison
An "investigation" into the case is currently being carried out by "public security" officers, the Nanchong Municipal Bureau of Agriculture said in a statement Monday.
Great white sharks are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's list of “vulnerable” species – just below “endangered” species.
Global shark populations have been decimated in recent decades, in part due to fishing.
In China, sharks are on the list of protected species.
Their possession is illegal and can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.
"It's just amazing that a web star can eat a protected animal in front of millions of people in broad daylight," wrote a user on the social network Weibo, in tune with the majority of comments.
“These uneducated are ready for the worst baseness just to attract attention,” lamented another.
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