Parts from Endangered Animals and Chinese Medicine

Parts from Endangered Animals and Chinese Medicine

 Parts from endangered animals include musk deer sent glands, bear bile, seal penises, bear's gall bladders, tiger bone, and rhinoceros horn, Endangered Asian barred owls, hawks and other owls are made into a soup which is supposed to improve eyesight Endangered Imperial eagles feathers are rubbed on skin.

 The skin of Malayan tapirs is consumed to remove boils and ward off infection. Macaque flesh is taken as a malaria treatment and a cure for lassitude. Leopard fat, elephant eyeballs, porcupine stomachs, wild boar teeth, monkey paws, civet glands, rabbit skulls, and otter penises are also consumed for medicinal purposes. In markets in Guangzhou you can see other rare cats, such as leopard cats, on sale as food. The bones from snow leopards and golden cats are used as a tiger bone substitute in some medicines.

 Parts from endangered animals are not just sold in Asia. A survey of pharmacies in Chinatowns in seven cities in Europe and North America found that many sold products made with parts of endangered animals. Bear bile, for example, is sold at pharmacies in Britain.

 The illegal animal trade is worth $10 billion a year, possibly twice that. It is increasingly being controlled by organized crime as evidenced by the record seizures. China is the largest market

 Fakes are often passed off as parts from endangered animals. For example, pig gallbladders are often sold as bear gallbladders and camel bones are passed off as tiger bones.

 Synthetic versions of active chemicals in endangered animals are now marketed, but many consumers prefer the genuine articles. "It's like asking, 'What do you think about the difference between a natural diamond and an artificial diamond?’” an Oriental medicine doctor told the New York Times. "Is it the same thing?