Tigers Killed for their Penis

[Punum]

Today there are believed to be fewer than 2,500 breeding adult Tigers left in the wild, and their numbers are declining. Tigers are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

A friend of mine is getting ready to do a documentary about these Tigers and made me aware of this horrific practice.

The greatest threats to Tigers are habitat loss, poaching and lack of sufficient prey. Once found across Asia, from Turkey to eastern Russia, over the past century Tigers have disappeared from south-west and central Asia, from Java and Bali in Indonesia and from large parts of South-east and East Asia.

Tigers have lost 93% of their historic range, and more than 40% of their range in the last decade. Much of the remaining habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented.

Today, Tigers are found only in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and VietNam, and possibly in North Korea.

Tigers, and numerous other species of endangered wild life, have to contend with poaching!

Regardless of the tigers’ classification as a “Critically Endangered” species, the demand for its parts has drastically increased at an alarming rate since the end of the 20th Century. The tiger is primarily killed to supply underground black markets with its organs, pelts and bones.

These items are highly regarded in eastern medicine, claiming to posse’s capabilities to heal all sorts of human illnesses and dysfunctions. In addition, this regal and magnificent symbol of nature’s beauty and power is hunted recreationally for sport/trophies, perceived fear, and just out-rite ignorance! Unfortunately, poaching is not isolated to any one subspecies or population. All tigers, no matter were they live, seem to be under attack!

The import and exportation of tiger parts is a sizable business. The penis sells for $6,000 (USD in 2008) which is used in a soup as an aphrodisiac. Dried white tiger penis is worth even more.

It is probably the most expensive piece of animal material in the world and probably the reason for the deaths of many magnificent wild tigers. A large number of Chinese still believe that the body parts of animals can cure their ailments. And the doctors who practice traditional Chinese medicine haven’t yet decided to do what they do in the west, substitute animal parts for man made ingredients. Despite the widespread availability of aspirin, a highly effective pain killer and indeed many other pain killers, many Chinese prefer to ingest crushed tiger bone for pain relief.

This practice takes place in China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and the other Asian countries. In 1990, over 4,180 pounds of tiger bones were exported from Taiwan to Japan. Documented records from the Korean government state that over 8700 pounds of tiger bones were imported into South Koreas from Indonesia. In Hong Kong black markets, venders sell a pound of powdered tiger humorous bone sells for over $1700.

Other tiger body parts are believed to do the following to the person who consumes them:

• 1. Heart – gives strength and courage
• 2. Tail – body rub for skin problems
• 3. Bones – put in wine for rheumatism
• 4. Brains – body rub to cure acne
• 5. Eyes – turned into pills for epilepsy
• 6. Whiskers – cure for toothache

It is still cheaper to kill and export the body parts of a wild tiger than to farm them. At this rate how long will it take for their complete extinction in the wild? Keep in mind that all of these so-called treatments are completely unproven by science and have absolutely no real medical value.

How is man considered to be of superior intelligence compared to these animals when this happens?

If man has no respect for such a remarkable animal as the tiger, how can mankind be expected to protect all of the other animals, plants and wild places sharing the planet with us? One way to help, don’t purchase items made from animal parts or made by animals (elephant paintings).

Many organizations are in need of volunteers to help save these animals and educate the public. To learn more about the tigers and things you can do, go to these websites:

Wildlife 1

Traffic

Tiger Homes

[Punum]

I totally agree. I've had a number of people in China comment on my blog. They say they wish this would stop. I did get one email from a "vet" in China saying that this blog is spam and should not be posted. I can only imagine what kind of "vet' he is. Thanks for the comment. I will place it on my site.

[Josh Zimmer]

The use of Tiger parts and those of other endangered animals doesn't have a place in modern-day Chinese Medicine. If one looks hard enough they can find anything. But herbal formulas found in American settings have been redesigned to safeguard protected species AND effective at the same time.