A frozen tiger carcass, tiger bones, and turtle shells have been confiscated in Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province, while two suspects identified as Ho Van Bang and Nguyen Van Ngon were arrested.
Police also found “bones of unidentified animals”, along with military and government license plates, inside the pair’s SUV, according to Thanh Nien Daily.
The contraband was stuffed in bags, and the suspects — who reportedly tried to bribe the police — claimed they were unaware of the contents.
A comprehensive report compiled in July 2012 by WWF said that Vietnam is “failing on key aspects of compliance and enforcement”. It was noted that a large volume of frozen tiger carcasses continue to be seized by authorities, indicating that Vietnam’s “tiger farms” are supplying tiger bones and body parts to the illegal market.
However, the largest concentration of tiger farms is in China, where an estimated 6,000 tigers reside in battery cages, apparently for use in tiger bone wine and health tonics containing tiger parts.
Image by Riley Huntley via Wikimedia Commons
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.