Police in China Nab 10 in Killing of Giant Panda

There is now one less giant panda in the world. China Central Television reports that police have arrested 10 people suspected in the killing and dismemberment of a protected wild panda, including two brothers said to have been the ones who actually killed the animal. Acting on a tip, police in Yunnan province raided a home and found panda meat, bones, and fur. They say the brothers sold about 77 pounds of meat and all four of the animal's paws to one merchant for $800, who then sold the parts to other buyers, reports AP.

The brothers told police they were hunting for a wild animal that had killed one of their goats, NBC News reports. After spotting what they claim they thought was merely "a large animal" in a tree, the brothers shot and injured the bear. Police say they then fatally shot the wounded female, despite knowing it was a panda. If convicted, the suspects—both the hunters and the merchants—could face years in prison. Only about 1,800 giant pandas exist in the wild, making the black market for them lucrative.