Truth must prevail

It is now confirmed that the controversial tiger photograph taken by a farmer is fake. The confirmation that came yesterday not only is a reward to the persistence of those questioning the photo's authenticity, but also unmasks a fraud that played with the feelings of all Chinese nationwide.

While the credit goes to the scientist, who first questioned the authenticity of the photo when it was published in October last year, and also to the postgraduate who sued farmer photographer Zhou Zhenglong for fooling the nation with fake photos, the fact that it took eight months for the truth of such a scandal to be uncovered leaves enough food for thought.

When one person after another gave their reasons for challenging the authenticity of the fake photos, the local forestry authorities in Shaanxi province, where the photos were taken, helped pull the wool over the eyes of the public by claiming them as real ones on the basis of an assessment they had organized.