Ten Tigers Brutally Slain To Entertain Businessmen and Officials: A Horrendous Blood Bath

Just one hundred years ago the tiger population was more than 30 times greater than today. There were at least 100,000 of these magnificent big cats living on our planet. But due to illegal trade in parts, poaching and the loss of their habitat the tiger population has been drastically decimated. As a result there are only approximately 3,000 tigers still existing today. The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species has listed tigers as an endangered species.

Tiger is persecuted
Tiger is persecuted. Photo credit: Flickr user: Dave Stokes (This is not one of the slaughtered tigers)

In an item in the Daily Star, the police in the Chinese port city of Zhanjiang in the southern province of Guangdong, recently reported that over ten tigers were tortured and killed in the country as visual “feasts” to entertain government officials and “fat cat” businessmen. In order to keep them acquiescent while they were being transported, the tigers were tranquilized. But upon their arrival they were carefully checked out to make sure they were alive before the “show” began.

In a raid in March this year, a freshly slain tiger was discovered by police as well as evidence of other killed tigers along with multiple tiger products, according to the Nanfang Daily, the mouthpiece of the provincial Communist Party. Additionally videos were found showing a tiger in a cage being slowly electrocuted prior to being dissected by a butcher. To escape police during the raid, a butcher, who was most likely responsible for killing more than ten tigers, jumped to his death.

But it’s not only this unspeakably inhumane and sick form of entertainment that makes the lives of tigers both in captivity and in the wild exceedingly dangerous. Tiger meat is greatly in demand, and extremely costly. Because it is considered a rare delicacy, business owners may seek to purchase it as very special gifts upon which to bestow on officials. Since tigers are strong and majestic animals their bones are presumed to aid in strengthening the body. Tiger bones have been an essential ingredient used in Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years.

Since the active ingredients in tiger bones are protein and calcium, those that practice Chinese medicine claim that they have anti- inflammatory properties. Also used in Chinese medicine are tiger whiskers, teeth and eyes to treat ailments such as insomnia, malaria, bad skin and meningitis. Although the word “tiger” has been removed from the list of official ingredients, there remains a heavy demand for these products. Tiger products are huge moneymakers. Tiger bones are extremely expensive. Just a little over two pounds of tiger bones are sold for an average of over $2,200. (£1,360)

Although Western medicine has proven beyond a doubt that aspirin produces the same beneficial effects as the Chinese medicine practitioners make preposterous claims from using ingredients made from tiger parts. according to the website, “Tigers in Crisis”. The majority of accomplished Western medical practitioners maintain that there are no curative powers in the claims made by Chinese medicine practitioners in the use of tiger parts to cure illness. Stores selling Chinese medicine in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea and European and North American Chinatowns continue an on-going trade in tiger pills, powder, tiger wines.

Killing tigers as a sport to give thrill-seeking wealthy businessmen and officials an exciting side show is cruelty that is beyond unspeakable. The Chinese government must take swift action resulting in serious consequences which may help to put an end to these outrageous and despicable acts of brutality. But what will it take?

What do you think? Share your opinion in a comment.

Jo

  1. Sources: Tigers in Crisis, the Daily Star, ICUN Red List of Endangered Species

20 thoughts on “Ten Tigers Brutally Slain To Entertain Businessmen and Officials: A Horrendous Blood Bath”

  1. The author of the best comment will receive an Amazon gift of their choice at Christmas! Please comment as they can add to the article and pass on your valuable experience.
  2. I am sorry I could not read past the first 2 paragraphs. My heart was breaking at such a disgusting, vile “tradition”! The same could be said about the Japanese and the killing of the beautiful massive whales for “research purposes”.

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  3. this is horrible and sickening. It saddeens me im with everyone else here this practise needs to be stopped before theres no animals left esp inn the world.

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  4. Those who care don’t have the power and financial backing to make the changes required for ending the senseless slaughter of endangered species. Those who have the power and financial backing to make the changes are the ones who profit from the senseless slaughter of endangered species.

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  5. Guangdong has long been known as the most brutal of places for cats of all species. Those who perpetrated this unspeakable crime, and those who participated, should meet the same fate, by the same methods, as those innocent and beloved beings whose lives they took but whose souls are immortal. May these criminals’ souls be blotted out forever.

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  6. This is a vicious and cruel group of people. They obviously have no clue as to what endangered means. I cannot deny that when I saw that the butcher of these beautiful animals lost his life, I didn’t feel one bit sorry for him. Educating the youth that these practices and medicines are bad is the only way it will cease.

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