Netizens in China are crying foul after a court sentenced a university student to 10 years imprisonment  for selling rare birds to his friends, which he found near his home.

The court meted out a 10-year punishment to the student surnamed Yan on Thursday for selling Eurasian hobbies, a rare and protected falcon, to friends online.

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Many Chinese took to  social media and  expressed shock and disbelief over the Zhengzhou court's harsh sentence, saying that it was more than the punishment usually slapped on convicted rapists and drunk drivers.

Miscarriage of justice

#Stole16BirdsJailedFor10.5Years has been trending on Sina Weibo, with more than 15,000 users actively using the hashtag.

Reports said more than 60 percent of Chinese netizens have voted in an online poll that they felt the sentence was "too strong" and "shocking."

One of the users, Uncle Tan, said that there is a miscarriage of justice when a convicted drunk driver who kills people is sentenced to three years while a young boy who poaches a few birds and did not kill anyone receives 10 years.

Another user, "Dulexin", pointed out that serious criminal offenses such as human trafficking and fatal car accidents, as well as petty crimes like theft and robbery get a few years of jail time and yet a boy who poaches birds gets 10.

"This just goes to show that a bird's life is more important than human lives," he tweeted.

 Appropriate sentence

Other netizens, however, felt the criminal sentence was appropriate given the fact that the Chinese government has been addressing environmental issues as part of its campaign to fight climate change.

Another user said Yan deserved the 10 year criminal punishment and that he should take responsibility for his actions.

"He was selling protected species which in itself is a criminal offense. He should take responsibility for his own  behavior," the user said.

 Bird's nest

Yan discovered a bird's nest containing 16 Eurasian hobbies and raised 12 of them. Court records said Yan uploaded the pictures of the birds online and started selling them later to his circle of  friends.

He sold 10 birds and was arrested by police at the time he was about to sell the remainder of the birds online.

An accomplice surnamed Wan was also sentenced to 10 years in prison and was fined 10,000 yuan or $1,500. Another accomplice was slapped a one-year imprisonment.

TagsEurasian hobbies, falcon, rare birds, China punishment for selling rare birds