5 poachers were each given five years in prison by a court in western Thailand on Monday for killing a female tiger and her cub in a national park the previous year.
The Kanchanaburi provincial court ruled that the five men violated conservation laws when they killed the protected pair of animals in Thong Pha Phum National Park before skinning and smoking their remains to make them ready for sale on the black market.
Tiger Skins, Bones, Carcass Parts
The tiger parts were taken by park rangers after they found them in January of last year. The skins of two flayed tigers were held up in photos taken in the forest and released by the authorities. Photos were taken nearby and also revealed bones and carcass parts.
The court rejected the men's claim that they killed the tigers as retaliation for attacks on livestock, concluding that given that they lived in a neighborhood close to a forest, they ought to have felt a sense of responsibility to protect the environment.
Tigers vs. Poaching
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are only about 4,500 wild tigers left in the world. Though their numbers have grown recently, according to WWF, fewer than 200 big cats are still present in Thailand's national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
The demand for tigers' bones, skins, as well as other body parts used in folk medicine in China and Vietnam is one of the main factors driving poaching, and one of the major threats to tigers' survival.
Traditional Chinese medicine has both supporters and detractors in China, where there is an ongoing discussion about its efficacy and safety.
Even though many TCM remedies have been in use for many centuries, detractors contend that there is frequently little conclusive, peer-reviewed research to back up their claimed advantages.
Chinese medicine uses almost every part of the tiger, according to Facts And Details. For instance, the whiskers are used to treat toothaches and to increase strength; the eyes are used to treat epilepsy, malaria, nervousness, and cataracts, as well as to lessen convulsions. Additionally, people with epilepsy and convulsions eat tiger noses. Various skin conditions are said to be treated with tiger tails.
Because tiger bone decoctions are thought to treat rheumatism or arthritis, strengthen muscles, and extend life, they are crushed and powdered, and they are added to wine and soup. Any man who consumes tiger wine is supposed to gain strength, prowess, and virility.
Tiger soup, which can cost up to $320 per bowl in Taiwan, is believed to improve sexual prowess.
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Welcomed Ruling Against 5 Poachers
The chief of Thong Pha Phum National Park, Charoen Jaichon, praised the court's decision and expressed his satisfaction that justice had been served. This is a severe warning to any illegal poachers in Thailand's national parks, he continued, CNN reports.
In addition to paying the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation 750,000 baht plus 5% interest in damages, the five poachers were also fined 5,500 baht each, according to the Bangkok Post.
Additionally, it was claimed that the five poachers had repeatedly committed the crime.
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