HANGZHOU -- A court in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, on Thursday sentenced a man to eight years in prison for illegally trading wild owls and skylarks, with a fine of 55,000 yuan (around $7,929).

The Xiaoshan District People's Court in Hangzhou heard that from November 2017 to January 2018, the man surnamed Zhao successively purchased seven live owls, a Class B protected animal in China, from others at the price of 200 yuan each and resold them at more than twice the price in the local market. During that time, he also sold other wild birds, including hawks and skylarks on China's social media platform WeChat.

Police arrested Zhao on the spot when he sold an owl for 400 yuan and then seized two live owls and a bag of frozen dead wild birds, including skylarks and little buntings.

Both Zhao and other suspects involved in the case paid a total of 75,000 yuan in compensation for ecological and environmental damage.

After the sudden attack of the novel coronavirus, China has stepped up efforts in cracking down on illegal activities related to wildlife as researchers believe the virus highly likely came from wild animals.

China's top legislature had adopted a decision on thoroughly banning the illegal trading of wildlife and eliminating the consumption of wild animals.