Hanoi Zoo Admits Selling Tigers to Animal Traffickers

5 years ago Nature

Vietnam’s Hanoi Zoo has come up with an innovative, and illegal, method of raising funds: auctioning off tiger bodies to illegal animal traffickers.

The zoo admitted auctioning the tigers, which had reportedly died of natural causes at the zoo, to traffickers in the lucrative field of traditional Asian medicines.

The zoo might have gotten away with it had the traffickers not been busted in a most spectacular way on Monday. Police stopped a car in the city on Monday and found two people, who they easily identified as smugglers by the two sleeping tigers in the back seat.

Nguyen Thuy Mui, 48, and Nguyen Quoc Truong, 43, were arrested and detained. Mui admitted to raising the tigers from cubs and had been planning to sell them to Truong for $40,000. Police raided Truong’s home and found four frozen tigers. Truong said he legally purchased the animals from the Hanoi zoo.

That turned out to be partially correct. Truong did indeed purchase the animals at an auction held by the zoo. Investigators found alleged receipts for the animals, and the zoo’s bank account showed deposits made by Truong for the tigers, which sold for around $8000 each. The sale, however, was completely illegal.

To sell the tigers, the zoo would have needed the approval of the Hanoi forestry management agency. Zoo officials admitted they conducted the auction without the agency’s approval. Even if it had the approval, the sale would have still broken international law. The zoo should have cremated the bodies according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which Vietnam ratified in 1994. Red-faced zoo officials admitted the violation today according to several Vietnamese papers.

The tigers were almost certain to become part of a traditional Asian medicine in the near future. Truong’s house held not only the frozen tigers, but stoves for creating glue from animal bones. This is a common method of turning exotic animal bones into a traditional medicine. The boiled bones can sell for $800 or more per 100 grams.

I hope this doesn't become a trend in poorer zoos throughout the world. I had a great experience at the zoo in Sofia, Bulgaria, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much had the gift shop featured elephant leg umbrella stands and auction notices for the bodies of dead animals. The zoo's actions are particularly shocking in light of the incredile rarity of tigers in Vietnam. Only about 100 of the animals roam the country's forests.

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Written by: Chris

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Comments

Old Comments

Alex mills says

Mar 4th, 2008 at 12am
this really ticks me of i mean animals are dying every where but the least we can do is treat their bodies with a little respect

Wild Cat says

Jan 14th, 2008 at 12am
Ever read this book? How the tiger lost it's stripes It points out that the tiger problem is pretty complicated. The short answer is that there isn't any shortage of tigers -- they breed very well in captivity, and often need to be put down because of overpopulation. The problem is that there aren't many places for them to live in the wild -- they are big animals that are dangerous to us and our livestock. Some people have been proposed that any demand there is for tiger parts could be satisfied by captive tigers, and that this would take away the pressure for people to poach wild tigers. Others say that creating a legitimate market for captive tiger parts will create a market that poachers can exploit, and will drive wild tigers to extinction. It's certainly true that the overwhelming majority of "tiger parts" sold in the world are fraudulent... As of the time the above book was written, every sample of "tiger bone" captured by the authorities turned out to be something else.

tiger boy says

Jan 12th, 2008 at 12am
Dont be stupid. The animal was dead. Who cares. Its not like they’re being slaughtered for the market. Animal died of natural causes and the carcass was sold. Grow the f**K up. Christ.
I hope your being sarcastic, or are completely retarded. Whats wrong ?? Well obviously these exotic animals have no medicinal qualities, and by continuing this myth of extrodinary medicine though exotic animals, these animals continue to be in danger. The more readily available you make these solutions, the more people will believe it. For example .. I have a sickness, a sickness that i probably would of recovered from naturally anyways.. but i take tiger soup, and i say the cure is from tiger soup. There are people willing to believe this, and then the demand for tiger soup goes up.

EpicFail says

Jan 12th, 2008 at 12am
see, personally, I feel like this is better than other options. In this case, the animal (who I am assuming did die of natural causes) is being used for traditional medicine, something ingrained in culture through generations, and has been proven to be useful. Using a method like this, local culture can thrive in its original form without risking more damage to the species, raising money for the zoos to help save the species, and quite possibly save a wild tiger from being hunted illegally for its medicinal properties. If we were talking about live animals, you are looking at a whole different story, but using a carcass for something good (as opposed to simply burning it and wasting any possible positive properties it may have) is a much more positive option.

Li says

Jan 12th, 2008 at 12am
I still think it isn't right. Inhumane. It feeds the demand for people to capture and kill tigers for the sake of earning money by selling it at high prices to make traditional medicine. Is traditional medicine really proven anyway?

rave says

Jan 12th, 2008 at 12am
no wonder us thai and lao people hate the viet congs because of stuff like this. Damn VC's!!

fernbud says

Jan 12th, 2008 at 12am
ya, natural causes my ass!

peter guszti says

Jan 11th, 2008 at 12am
Wow, I have lived in vietnam and know people would ripp you off, and just about say anything to get your money there, but this is ridiculous.I posted this with comments about vietnam on my site, http://www.opentopix.com/topic/off-beat/hanoi-zoo-admits-to-selling-frozen-tigers

Jason says

Jan 11th, 2008 at 12am
this is terrible, why are we trading animals? these are creatures that are so rare and almost dying out because of people who take them out of there homes and slaughter them for what? SOUP!? that f**king stupid, i mean come on, what if someone knocked on your door or even worse, stole your animal and than turned them into soup? as stupid as it might sound thats what those animals deal with everyday, the sliver backs of Africa, perfect example. there is something like 50 of them left in the world, that right there is terrible, all because people burn them, not even use them, burn them for coal. i just hope when the day comes for me to have kids, polar bears, silver backs, tigers and other animals aren't creatures of the past, where they only exist inside books and galleries.

dml337ira says

Jan 11th, 2008 at 12am
"This is a common method of turning exotic animal bones into a traditional medicine. The boiled bones can sell for $800 or more per 100 grams." $800 per Gram!!!! OMFG I'm in the wrong business.... -dml337ira