Illegal Tiger Skin Trading In China
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) recently went undercover in China to reveal the illegal tiger skin trade there.
Covert filming showed the trading and selling of tigers and other rare animals, such as snow leopards.
The skins are sold as luxury items and are used for clothes and home decor. However, buying and selling big cat skins and body parts is illegal in China.
Between July 25th and August 19th of 2009 the EIA carried out investigations in markets in five cities throughout western China.
The team was offered 4 full tiger skins, 12 leopard skins, 11 snow leopard skins, and 2 clouded leopard skins, as well as associated bones and teeth from the species in just a 21 day period.
EIA spokesperson Alasdair Cameron says, "It’s really quite significant."
"What’s interesting is the market has changed. Previously the market was for skins amongst the Tibetan community, that market has largely collapsed and what we’re seeing now is skins bought for decoration and taxidermy amongst Chinese businesspeople," he says.
The team was surprised to find out easy it was to obtain these endangered animal products.
They were able to capture the illegal trade by using a hidden camera.
"Some of the places we have been to, skins are openly displayed in shop windows while police cars drive past," Mr. Cameron says.
On the 27 October a summit is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal to discuss how best to save wild tigers from extinction.
However, Mr. Cameron has mixed feelings about the forthcoming year of the tiger.
"We’re hoping to use the year of the tiger as a way to highlight the threats faced by the animal but traders in China are actually saying that next year is going to be great because people will want to get a piece of the tiger in the year of the tiger."
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