Chris Slappendel, a veteran Dutch tiger protector and environmentalist, recently wrote in The Times of India that illegal trade in tiger products has reached $20 billion annually, and that 70-80% of demand for products created illegally from the bodies of tigers, such as medicines, and luxury goods such as Tiger Bone Wine which sells for over $1,500 a bottle, is from China. Most of these products come form ‘tiger farms’.
But China is not the only country guilty of mistreating tigers. The USA invites ordinary people to hold endangered species in their back yards. So called ‘homebred tigers’ are a stick that China can use against the US when it gets round to threatening China with trade sanctions because of their tiger farming. Dr. Ullas Karanth (Director for Science-Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society), also joins this programme.
