The photo posted on Monday shows a laughing man with bloody hands standing behind a terrified kiang, a first class national protected animal. [Photo from weibo.com]

LHASA - Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly killing a Tibetan wild ass, a protected species, in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The suspects, Chen Haisheng and Li Ming, chased and hit the animal in a vehicle on Saturday afternoon, said Dandar, head of the Ali Forestry Public Security Bureau, on Thursday.

After the animal collapsed, Chen killed it with a knife, disemboweled it and the two took the body to their workplace to cook it for the workers.

Police started an investigation when a picture was posted on the Internet showing a man with his arms covered in blood and a prostrate donkey.

Chen and Li were arrested on Monday night and confessed to the killing animal. The two work for an electricity company from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Tibet is home to scores of rare and endangered species, including black-necked cranes, Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild ass, yaks and snow cocks.