Investigation of tiger trade in Vietnam

According to some scientists, Vietnam has less than 30 wild tiger individuals currently scattered in several national parks and conservation areas, mainly in the border areas of the Central provinces.

In the past 15 years, tiger populations in Vietnam as well as in countries with tiger distributions have been significantly reduced due to hunting, habitat loss and food depletion. The International Tiger Conservation Coalition (ITC), a representative of tiger conservation organizations worldwide, estimates that there are only about 3,500 wild tiger species globally, distributed mainly in India, the country already exists. many successful efforts to prevent illegal hunting and protect the habitat and food sources for tigers.

The Nature Education Center (ENV) has just completed a 12-month investigation to understand the relationship between tiger farms and illegal tiger trade in Vietnam. At the same time, unveiling the secret of illegal tiger trade in Vietnam.

During the investigation, ENV worked closely with the environmental police, police and forest rangers in provinces and cities as well as some independent investigators. This summary report highlights the basic results achieved during the investigation. In the future, ENV will provide detailed reports on the survey results to relevant officials and authorities.

Tiger trade in Vietnam

Compared to trade in other wildlife species in Vietnam, tiger trade is completely different due to the small number and high value of this animal. Violators use more sophisticated tricks to hide their illegal behavior. The objects of illegal tiger trade in Vietnam are very professional and organized.

In order to avoid detection by the authorities, these people often use prepaid phone numbers, establish contacts across national borders or take advantage of relationships to ensure goods are traded, Trot transportation reaches consumers.

Since 2005, ENV's Wildlife Protection Department has stored 104 tiger abuses, including 16 seizures, confiscation of frozen tigers, tiger or body parts and a crop. live tiger trade.

According to ENV data stored since 2005, authorities have confiscated 29 tigers (or parts of a tiger, excluding decorative templates such as heads, claws, teeth and leather) from illegal trade and transportation. In addition, ENV's Wildlife Protection Department also maintains records of 12 cases of tiger breeding in private or farm zoos.

In 10 seizures of illegal trafficking tigers in Vietnam, the material seized is all frozen tigers. Observing tiger feet and frozen tigers, it is likely that they originated from similar farms or farms, not from nature.

The consumption of tiger products in Vietnam

Illegal tiger dealers mainly supply frozen tigers and tiger bones to brokers to raise tigers. Traders seek customers first, then let them witness the processing process to convince customers to buy real, quality assurance. The price of high tigers mixed with bones of other wildlife species ranges from 7-17 million VND / tael (price in 2009) depending on high quality. Buyers often soak high tigers with alcohol to drink for the purpose of improving health or healing.

It is estimated that Vietnam has less than 30 wild tigers currently scattered in some national parks and protected areas, mainly in the border areas of the Central provinces (Photo: ENV).

Violations related to consumers range from buying and selling tigers to herbal medicines, tigers or tiger parts, to claws, skin, teeth for jewelry, decoration and pepper. Tiger version for display. Vietnamese people also buy products such as claws, teeth and tiger skins for souvenirs. However, tigers are mainly used for high cooking. They rarely buy products available at stores.

The survey results show that some traditional Chinese pharmacies can provide tigers, but are not the main source of supply for customers in need. Customers buy high tigers often through personal relationships with brokers, witnessing the processing process to ensure product quality, In the words of an expert who specializes in cooking tigers, ' Currently, buying frozen tigers in Vietnam is very easy . ' Just a few phone calls and some reference addresses, with about 350 million in cash, or a trip to Tay Son town near Cau Treo border gate between Laos and Vietnam will buy a tiger on 100 kg.

The origin and route of tiger transport trade

According to information from a number of clues about illegal trading, most of the tigers are confiscated from trafficking and transport cases originating from large tiger farms in Laos. Cambodia is also known as a source of tiger supplies to Vietnam. However, up to now, no individual has been confiscated in trafficking and transport cases originating from Cambodia.

Roadmap for tiger transport trade between Vietnam and other countries, in which Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh is defined as one of the main border gates of tiger smuggling into Vietnam.

Based on the information of a number of seizures of frozen tigers in Thailand on the way to Vietnam in the last few years and according to information interviewed by some subjects in the investigation, it can be confirmed that the tiger was included. The Vietnamese market may also originate from Thailand, Myanmar and even Malaysia.

A recent article published in Malaysia's newspaper mentioned the hunters of Vietnamese and some other countries who came to Malaysia to trap tigers and other wildlife species.

Traffickers, tigers and informants all said that Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh is one of the main border gates of tiger smuggling into Vietnam. Tigers originating from Laos and other countries are often frozen and cut into two or more pieces and smuggled into our country through large heads of people concentrated in Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh and Thanh provinces. Chemistry and Hanoi. Traffickers often sell tigers to brokers who operate tigers and sell tigers to consumers.

Of the 16 trafficking and trafficking arrests, there were 29 tigers in which no tigers confirmed their wild origin in Vietnam. This may also reflect Viet Nam's serious decline in tiger populations. Tiger individuals found in trade cases originated from farms and from abroad.