DISTURBING ATTIRE: In this undated photo released by the Wildlife Protection Society of India and Environment Investigation Agency, tribals wearing tiger skins dance during a festival in Tibet. — Photo: AP

NEW DELHI: There is a huge market for Indian tiger and leopard skins in China, particularly in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and the skins are being openly traded there. The `thriving' and `uncontrolled' market may explain the increased poaching of tigers in India that has left at least one reserve devoid of tigers and four others almost empty, wildlife experts suggest.

Two non-governmental organisations — the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) — that visited China and Tibet in August found a staggering size of the market for animal skins — much of which is now being used for costumes and ceremonial events. "The costumes have been bought within the last two years and the traders categorically said that the tiger skins had come from India,'' claimed Belinda Wright, executive director of WPSI who was part of the team that went on the tiger trail.

Showing footage of their survey of several markets in China and Tibet to reporters here on Thursday, Ms. Wright said tiger skins were being bought following an increase in the wealth of Tibetans over the past few years. The team attended horse festivals across the Tibetan plateau where many people, including the organisers and officials, wore `chubas' or costumes decorated with tiger and leopard skins.

During its visit to Lhasa (Tibet), the team surveyed 46 shops and found 54 leopard skin `chubas' and 24 tiger skin `chubas' which were openly displayed in the showcases. Seven fresh leopard skins were offered for sale and within the space of 24 hours, the team was shown three fresh tiger skins.

In one street in Linxia in China, more than 60 full snow leopard and more than 160 fresh leopard skins were openly displayed — with many more rolled up in the back. "We found over 1,800 otter skins, which are also used to decorate the costumes,'' Ms. Wright said. "The quantity and blatant display of tiger and leopard skins in Tibet and China demonstrates a lack of awareness among customers about the plight of the tigers and the urgent need for targeted enforcement to stop traders from smuggling and illegally selling the animal skins,'' she said.

Huge seizures of tiger, leopard and otter skins in India and Nepal indicate the existence of highly organised criminal networks behind the skin trade. They operate across borders, smuggling skins from India through Nepal into China and continue to evade the law.

The EIA and the WPSI have called upon the Centre to immediately establish a professional enforcement unit to target the wildlife criminals who were controlling the trade, and China to undertake enforcement actions to stop the smugglers.

Tigers and leopards are listed in Schedule 1 of the UN Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), thereby prohibiting international trade. Also, the Indian and Chinese laws do not allow killing, smuggling, buying or selling of these animals.

Describing the revelations as `shocking', wildlife expert, Valmik Thapar called upon the Government to set up the National Wildlife Crime Bureau immediately.

"This also shows that human beings and tigers cannot co-exist, as is being suggested. Men can only live with dead animals,'' he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail