TigerTime receive a letter from the Duke of Edinburgh

Last week, TigerTime wrote to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh about the use of endangered species in Traditional Chinese Medicine after hearing His Royal Highness was meeting the Chinese Delegation.

We stated that “the corruption of the traditional Chinese book of medicine to include animal parts is helping to fuel an unsustainable demand for animal products, such as rhino horn, tiger bones and moon bear bile.”

However, this is not where the problem ends as the letter went on to explain that “while Chinese medicine may be one end use, the rise of an affluent middle-class in Asia is putting huge pressure on wild elephant populations with tonnes of illegal ivory being carved into trinkets and jewellery. Further, tiger farming in China is putting a massive strain on wild tiger populations as farmed tiger products continue to stimulate demand for wild supplies. While the use of tiger bones for medicinal purposes is illegal in China the lack of clarity over the legal licensing of farmed tiger skins continues to blur the lines between what is legal, what is not, what is farmed and what is wild. With fewer than 3,200 tigers left in the wild it is an unsustainable situation.”

TigerTime received a very prompt reply which stated “the points you raise will be borne in mind, and a copy of your letter has been passed to A.R.C., The Association of Religions and Conservation. A.R.C. has been working with the Chinese Daoist Association for many years to change the mindset that underpins the use of endangered species in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Clearly a huge amount remains to be done”.

This was a very positive response as getting leading members of the Royal Family along with Members of Parliament to recognise the problem is a necessary step to changing this awful situation.
Over 186,000 people across the world have joined TigerTime and signed our petition to put an END to the trade in ALL tiger parts from ANY source. Every person that signs www.bantigertrade.com makes the campaign stronger and gives us a larger collective voice. Please continue to spread the message and give the tiger a voice.

Written by: Chantelle M Henderson