Chinese Man Sent To Prison For Scaring 1,100 Chickens Of His Neighbour To Death: Report

The accused used a flashlight, which caused panic among the flock, causing the birds to crowd into a corner in fear, and hundreds of them died in the ensuing crash.

A man was imprisoned for frightening his neighbour's chickens to death. (Representational Image)

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An old Chinese proverb says, "Kill the chicken to scare the monkey." It roughly translates to "destroying a minor rival is the best way to intimidate a major rival." But what happens next? One man in China appears to have discovered this only recently. In a strange court case reported in the country's state-owned media this week, a man identified only by his surname Gu was sentenced to prison after a court found him guilty of scaring to death 1,100 chickens belonging to a neighbour with whom he was feuding.

According to China Daily, Gu was convicted of using a flashlight to frighten the birds, causing them to kill one another on their owner's Hunan province grounds.

The flashing light caused the terrified flock to crowd into a coop corner, where they trampled over one another in an attempt to flee. Gu trespassed the first time, and 500 chickens were trampled to death — he was later apprehended by police, the report said. 

The accused was later apprehended by police and ordered to pay his neighbor, Zhong, 3,000 yuan, or $436 — which only enraged the crazed man.

He returned and carried out the scheme yet again. According to the report, the two massacres resulted in the deaths of 1,100 chickens in total.

Gu was reportedly retaliating for a feud with the chicken owner that began in April 2022 when Gu cut down Zhong's trees without permission or notification, it said further.

Gu "intentionally caused property loss" to Zhong, according to the Hengyang court, resulting in a monetary loss of 13,840 yuan, or $2,015. He was sentenced to six months in prison and one year of probation by the court.