Many cultures around the world require the use of wild animal parts in traditional medicine or superstitious beliefs.
Some of the species used are endangered and these traditions further threaten them.
These practices have a longstanding history, for example chinese traditional medicine dates back 3000 years. Traditionally, it required the use of rhino horn, tiger parts and pangolin scales as part of its pharmacopeia. Although in recent years the governing bodies of chinese traditional medicine have distanced themselves from the use of thretened species, and the trade of some species is globally banned, the illegal trade remains florid.
The ever growing demand for bones, pelts and other tiger parts has taken a toll on populations in the wild, all the subspecies are currently listed as endangered or critically endangered.
The use of tiger in China has been outlawed since the early 90's. Nevertheless, tigers are still trafficked in an illegal trade that mainly includes China, Thailand and Vietnam, where it is used in traditional medicine and in making luxury items such as trinkets, wine and fur coats. So much so that over a thousand shipments of tiger parts have been seized between 2007 and 2018. Of these, 40% were destined for use in traditional medicine.
Il commercio illegale non si è quindi fermato, ma una maggior difficoltà nel reperire parti di tigre ha fatto sì che i trafficanti si siano spostatati verso allevamenti intensivi di tigri e il bracconaggio in natura di altre specie di grandi felini, come leoni, giaguari e leopardi.
The illegal trade is ongoing, but due to difficulties in collecting tiger parts traffickers have shiofted btheir attention towards the intensive breeding of tigers and poaching of other wild big cats like lions, jaguars and leopards. These are then sold for tiger parts to unaware consumers.
In this interview, Sara Platto, professor at Juanghan University in Wuhan (China) explains how traditional medicine is not the only driver for the illegal demand of tiger parts in China; whereas Andrea crosta, co-founder and director of Earth League International, tells us more about the impact that the demand for one species, in this case the tiger, can impact other species around the world due to the wit of traffickers.
Fondazione A.R.C.A. sostiene il progetto di Earth League International (ELI) in collaborazione con IUCN National Commitee of the Netherlands per un’importante operazione di investigazione per contrastare il traffico illegale del giaguaro in Bolivia.
A.R.C.A. Foundation supports the project conducted by Earth League International (ELI) where they conduct investigations to fight the illegal trade in jaguar parts in Bolivia.
Jaguars, the largest of american cats, is trafficked for its pelt, and its bones and fangs, which are sold for tigers in the black market. To find out more click here.
Parco Natura Viva supports the conservation of the Siberian tiger with an annual contribution towards the Wildcats Conservation Alliance, which combines 32 years of experience and funds for conservation projects focused on both tigers and Amur leopards. They conduct monitoring of the remnant populations always keeping loical communities at the hart of their activities, with awareness campaigns and educational projects. The aim is to limit poaching activities that threaten the survival of these big cats in their range.
