The Times quoted Xu Hongfa, of Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring network linked to the WWF, as saying: “I think these words could be used as a cover by tiger farmers to make tiger bone wine and they would try to argue that it doesn’t just refer to skins.”
Environmentalists warned yesterday that the move could boost trade in illegal potions and create a market for poachers preying on the rare animals as far away as India.
Environmentalists worry that tigers could be further threatened with extinction because China has approved the sale of products extracted from the animals. While tiger pelts are an important aspect of some Tibetan ceremonies, critics worry that the new approval includes language allowing tiger tonics, such as wine made from ground bones.
Comments