According to a report by The New York Times, the Chinese Government overturned its 25-year-long ban on the use of tiger and rhino body parts for ‘medical research and healing’.
The announcement clarifies that only certified hospitals and doctors would be allowed to use these body parts which would come from animals raised in captivity; excluding zoos.
Environmentalists think that this decision will fuel black market and illegal trade as demand for some of these body parts is set to increase.
Rhino horns and tiger bones are revered in traditional Chinese medicine because of their exceptional healing powers.
This decision by the Chinese government hasn’t gone down well with conservation organizations. Speaking to the New York Times, Leigh Henry, Director of wildlife policy at the World Wildlife Fund, said:
“It’s a devastating decision. I can’t overstate the potential impact.”
