 A Haul of Illegal Skins
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Oct. 22, 2003 — The Chinese News Agency, Xinhua, reported a record seizure of 1,276 smuggled wild animal skins by Chinese customs officials in mid-October. The skins were obtained by illegally killing 32 tigers, 579 leopards and 665 otters.
Three Tibetans and two Nepalese were arrested on the Tibetan side of the border when they attempted to transport the skins by truck from Nepal into Tibet, using a mountain pass.
Officials say the haul was worth almost $795,000 on the international market and was probably intended for use in fashion garments. It was the largest seizure in Tibet since 1951, and the largest ever single haul of tiger and leopard skins.
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According to a 2002 study conducted by the Wildlife Trust of India, most of the big seizures of illegal wildlife skins in the states of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh since the mid-eighties have involved Tibetan traders. Only one of those traders has so far been apprehended, Wildlife Trust of India officials said.
"The total tiger and leopard skin seizures (recorded in our database) that have Tibetan connections pales into insignificance compared to this latest seizure," said Ashok Kumar, Senior Advisor and Trustee for the Wildlife Trust of India.
"The problem is far graver than we had imagined. Otter skins are consumed in large quantity in Tibet itself and our database goes back showing a huge trade.
"Leopard skins are openly seen as trimming to coats in the markets of Lhasa," he pointed out.
According to Wildlife Trust of India records, four major recent wildlife skin seizures in India bore Tibetan signatures, and a serial number at the back of the skins indicated that the skin had been selected from a much larger lot. Officials of Wildlife Trust of India believe that the bulk of those skins originated in India, though some may have originated in Nepal.
One Wildlife Trust of India official said he had witnessed many buses and trucks passing through the Khasa border check point on the road from Kathmandu to Lhasa, without any checks carried out, or any attempts to detect smuggled goods.
"Though this seizure is a matter of great success for Chinese authorities, it is also a reminder that enforcement of wildlife laws needs a complete overhaul in India and also in Nepal," the Wildlife Trust of India stated.
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Name: Bengal Tiger, aka Indian Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
Primary Classification: Felidae (Cats) Location: India and Southeast Asia. Habitat: Tropical forest and grassland. Diet: Deer, antelope, wild pig and water buffalo. Size: Up to 10 feet in length and 575 lbs in weight. Description: Reddish-orange coat with black, vertical stripes; white underside, cheeks and eye areas; broad, muscular body; long, sensitive whiskers; long legs with sharp, retractable claws; long tail Cool Facts: It has been known to kill and eat crocodiles. It can leap more than 30 feet in a single bound, climb trees and swim for miles. Its roar can be heard almost two miles away. Conservation Status: Endangered Major Threats: Poaching and habitat loss. What Can I Do?: Visit the Wildlife Protection Society of India, TigerAid, and Global Tiger Patrol for further information on how you can help. |
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