The influencer suspected of using an endangered shark as food. Screenshot of The Paper.

Recently, a video of a shark being cooked and grilled by an influencer with 1 million followers has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms. However, according to science bloggers, the shark turned out to be a white shark, an internationally endangered wild animal and equivalent to a second-class protected animal in China. On Friday, the Public Security Bureau in Nanchong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, said they have set up a team to investigate the case.

The video uploaded online shows the influencer unpacking a large shark in front of a shop, attracting a crowd of onlookers. She and others then take the shark to the countryside, where it is cut up and cooked. In the upper left corner of the video screen, the caption reads "breeding for consumption."

According to media reports, the influencer said on Thursday that the shark in the video is not the endangered white shark, but a grey sharp-nosed shark. However, fish experts say there are no grey sharp-nosed shark in the Chinese mainland and if the influencer insists, she should show the legal credentials for sourcing and using the animal.

At present, all videos by the influencer have been removed from the video platform.