State Forestry Administration (SFA) said Friday that the country's first-ever auction of hunting quotas scheduled for Sunday was postponed.

SFA spokesman Cao Qingyao said, "The auction will be held in a proper way after soliciting suggestions from the public." However, he would not give a date.

Angry Chinese Internet surfers attacked the auction as a purely profit-driven move. However, the SFA, also China's wildlife protection agency, said the animals proposed for hunting were not endangered species and restricted hunting would help their protection.

Foreigners would have been allowed to hunt animals like yak if they successfully bid at the auction planned in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province.

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