SPCA International Disappointed by Decision by Chinese to Legalize Tiger and Rhino Products
New York, NY (November 6, 2018) – SPCA International Executive Director Meredith Ayan released the following statement in response to the Chinese government legalizing the use of Tiger and Rhino products for medical use.
"We are devastated by the Chinese government's decision to reverse the essential ban on trading in tiger and rhino products. It has long been proven that these animal body parts, primarily rhino horn and tiger bone, are not effective for medical use, and the only purpose they serve is to cause unnecessary suffering and death to these species. When the ban was implemented in 1993, it was to protect endangered species; in that time these populations have steadily declined, and this decision will only increase their rapid disappearance from our planet. With the reopening of this cruel trade, the increased poaching and illegal procurement of tiger bone and rhino horn for profit will inevitably place the estimated 4,000 tigers and 30,000 rhinos left in the wild in even more peril and speed us toward their total extinction."
About SPCA International
SPCA International (https://www.spcai.org/about-spcai/) is a global animal welfare organization with a mission that is simple, but vast: to advance the safety and well-being of animals. Through outreach, rescue and education programs SPCA International spearheads lifesaving initiatives and assists grassroots animal activists worldwide.
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