Illegal trade in tiger Myanmar to China increased

Illegal trade in tiger Myanmar to China increased

China may be the world's largest consumer on tiger parts and wild cats.

Illegal trade in tiger parts and wild cats from Burma to China soared in recent years, according to studies conducted in the last 20 years.

It is estimated that the two body parts trade surge of the wildlife, such as teeth, skin, skull is most common in Mong La, a city in Myanmar, which borders China.

In a number of figures in Mong La, which sells body parts of tigers and wild cats an increase in sales in the last eight years.

The results showed that 80% of the animals traded body was obtained from at least 200 tigers.

And most traded is part of the body leopard is estimated at 480 individuals.

Findings published in the journal Biological Conservation past substantiate the claim that the town of Mong La is a major wildlife markets in this region that has defeated a similar practice in Africa.

At the same time, according to research, there has been a decline in wildlife trade in other cities of Myanmar, Tachilek, in the border areas with Thailand.

"This could happen because there are more enforcement actions firmly in Thailand," said the report's authors, Chris Shepherd, from activists wildlife trade monitoring network internationally.

China's biggest consumer

"But because of the law enforcement has not been done in a particular region of China, then an increase in the illegal wildlife trade in Mong La," he added.

On the other hand, experts say, the Myanmar authorities do not have sufficient control over the city. During this territory under the control of Mong La rebel group that just peace agreement with the government of the country.

Wildlife leopard is most commonly found in the illegal trade.

So far there has been no statement of the Myanmar government on the findings of this study.

On paper, Myanmar has banned the illegal trade in tiger parts and leopard, under an international convention against the purchase and sale of endangered species (CITES).

But wildlife conservation organization, told the BBC that the law does not work as expected in Mong La.

Meanwhile, China is the largest consumer in tiger for a variety of interests and has been criticized for not being sufficiently able to control domestic wildlife trade (BBC)