Will Travers, Born Free USA’s chief executive officer, introduces a side event held at lunchtime March 4 during the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Conference of Parties meeting in Bangkok.
The event, entitled “Ending Tiger Trade — A Call for CITES Implementation,” placed the spotlight firmly on “tiger farms” and other captive breeding facilities proliferating throughout Asia.
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China alone has 5,000 captive bred tigers, whose skins and bones can end up in trade for luxury home decor and tiger bone wine. The very existence of these farms stimulates demand and heightens the threat on wild tigers from poaching.
Additional speakers were Steve Galster (Freeland), Debbie Banks (Environmental Investigation Agency) and Avinash Basker (Wildlife Protection Society of India).