Illegal tiger products seized in the UK

There has been a seizure in the UK of herbal remedies and massage oils that contain ground tiger claws. The products were discovered by officials at Felixstowe Port in Suffolk within a shipment of 45 large boxes that had arrived from India.

This is the first time that ground tiger claws in any product have been found by customs in the UK. The trade of tiger products is illegal worldwide and is controlled under the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The only tiger products that can enter the UK have to have the correct permits to show that they do not come from any illegal sources.

The packages were bound for an importer in Birmingham who has been contacted by authorities and issued with a warning. Authorities in India have also been informed and they will decide on further action against the exporter of the illegal products.

Lance Cruse, from Border Force at Felixstowe, said: “We are on the look-out for endangered species and products of animal origin. Unregulated imports can harm the survival of rare species as well as potentially bringing diseases into the UK. It is likely that the ground tiger claws would have come from tigers that were illegally poached.”

This seizure has shown that the illegal trade of tiger products happens across the globe. The demand for these products is putting a real danger on the survival of the wild tiger as poachers continue to satisfy the trade.

You can help TigerTime put an end to the tiger trade. Please sign www.bantigertrade.com and ask others to do the same.

TigerTime funds undercover operations to track and end the illegal tiger trade both abroad (through the Environmental Investigation Agency) and in the UK (through Operation Charm). Please help us continue this vital work and help us fund these projects.

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is having the annual RGS event on “Healing without Harm” on the 18^th October. This will look into the trade in endangered animal parts that fuels a multi-million pound industry, devastating wild populations and abusing captive animals. Tickets are £15 and are available here.

Written by: Chantelle M Henderson