Don't lose face over tiger bone medicine- Vietnamese activist

The Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) video shows a new board member at a fictitious business giving his colleagues red boxed gifts of the tiger product, which they leave on the table in disgust after the meeting is over.

 

 

"Using tiger bone paste won't impress anyone, don't embarrass yourself," the announcement says.

 

 

The paste is made by boiling tiger bones until they form a gel, which can be dried into a powder and consumed with wine. It is used to treat arthritis and is believed by some to improve sexual potency. It sells for about 1,000 dollars per 100 grams.

 

 

As few as 30 tigers remain in the wild in Vietnam, according to ENV.  

 

 

Tiger farming is legal for reasons of tourism or conservation, but the trading of tiger parts is banned. However, ENV said a small number of farms are known to be selling the animals illegally.

 

 

"In Vietnam, people use tiger balm paste as a kind of gift to give to people you want to impress as a form of status symbol," ENV spokesman Le Mai Hanh said.

 

 

Nguyen Xuan Huong, former chairman of the Traditional Medicine Association of Vietnam, said the consumption of tiger bone medicine has been increasing for the past few years, but that much of it was fake.

 

 

"I have never used tiger paste because there is no evidence in traditional medicine to prove the effectiveness of tiger paste bone," Huong added.

 

 

"Many people buy tiger paste, but not many use it, they just want to show off."

 

 

Tiger parts are also used in making wine, and sold as decorations.

 

 

NV said the tiger is likely to be the next major species declared extinct in Vietnam. The country's last rhino was killed in 2010.

   

 

 

-Sapa