Authorities have vowed to punish anyone found to be trading in endangered animals or their products, following a foreign media report of sales of tiger bone wine in Beijing and northern China.

The UK-based Sunday Telegraph reported that undercover investigators had been offered the chance to buy wine made from the crushed bones of tigers at the Qinhuangdao wildlife rescue center in north China's Hebei Province, as well as at the Badaling safari park in Beijing.

"An investigation into the wildlife park in Qinhuangdao would be conducted on Thursday afternoon," said Yang Chunming, head of the Qinhuangdao Forestry Public Security Bureau, without elaborating.

"We will deal seriously with any case of illegally selling the bodies or products of wild animals," he said.

His counterparts in Beijing also vowed to strengthen enforcement to punish and prevent such trade.

"We have opened a hot-line and welcome any report from the public," said Kong Lingshui, head of the Beijing forestry inspection team.

But he said previous investigations of markets and wildlife breeding centers had not uncovered any cases of selling tiger bones, ivory or rhinoceros or antelope horns.

Under Chinese law, the sale and purchase of wildlife under special state protection or the products thereof is prohibited.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2008)