SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO BUY “MAGIC MEDICINE”
Dr. Dang Vu borrowed a Rolex watch, a Porsche from a friend and rented a Burberry bag full of Cuban cigars. With that baggage, he infiltrated the upper class using the tiger high.
What do the upper-class gentlemen say about the use of tigers?
Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam (name has been changed, living in Hanoi) has heard many times from friends and colleagues about the “uses” of curing all diseases, strengthening bones, strengthening health of the tiger.
Therefore, when his mother suffered from osteoarthritis and could not walk, Mr. Tam did not regret buying tiger gum for his mother to use.
Mr. Tam bought from two different people, a total of more than half a pound of “genuine” tiger. The mother used it continuously for nearly a year, but the pain in her leg was still complete and she could not walk. The amount of more than 200 million VND to buy high tiger becomes meaningless.
The above story was shared with PV by Dr. Dang Vu, a research team leader from the University of Copenhagen, a consultant from the Global Initiatives against Transnational Organized Crimes.People after he published the results of his research on the use of tigers and humans consumption tiger in Vietnam in Nature Conservation Magazine.
Samples of tigers, rhino horns and bear bile were approached by Dr. Dang Vu during the research. (Photo: D. V)
To get valuable information about the demand for tiger extract, Dr. Dang Vu had to really penetrate the upper class in Hanoi.
He shared, very few executives,enterprise and officials in Hanoi spend time talking about endangered animals with random researchers.
They only want to talk to people of the same “class”. So this doctor changed his approach.
He borrowed a Rolex, a Porsche from a friend, and rented a Burberry bag full of Cuban cigars.
In addition, he collaborated with an amateur tennis player and a famous golfer. Both have their feet in the elite.
The whole group interacted with the “believers” high tigers. Although it took a long time to get wealthy gentlemen to trust them, the process enabled him and his partner to conduct interviews about tiger bones.
Between July and October 2020, Dr. Dang Vu and colleagues met with 228 tiger users.
These “believers” live in Hanoi, are old people and have money (income about 40-50 million VND/month or more).
According to Dr. Dang Vu, out of more than 200 rich and wealthy people he surveyed, about 50% said “tiger is good”. However, they are not sure about this either.
The reason is that during the time of using tiger extract, these people also used other functional foods, so it is not known where the improvement in health is due to. The remaining 50% of the population confirmed that the tiger extract had no effect.
The study answers the question of whether commercial tiger farms should be legalized. However, the results show that users mostly prefer tigers of natural origin and they are willing to buy from illegal sources. The idea of legalizing these farms will not contribute to tiger conservation.
While researching the demand for tiger extract, Dr. Dang Vu also met with a number of tycoons who specialize in supplying to customers in government agencies and businesses in Hanoi. He had heard about the “magic” tricks of this “panacea” pot.
A “boss” whose family has a tradition in Eastern medicine revealed: “The market for tiger gum in Vietnam is currently very active. People with money and age often love this product. It is because of the supply in the country. New scarcity of foreign countries leads to illegal tiger farming in the country.
The price of tiger gum on the black market is on average from 25-40 million VND/tang. There is this difference because it depends on the origin of the tiger. Tigers are brought back from Laos, cooked in South Africa, or kept in captivity in farms. In particular, the high price of pieces is related to the quality of tiger bones and the additives in them.”
Tigers bones essence are sold by the pound. (Photo: D.V)
“To increase profits, high cooks often reduce the percentage of tiger bones and add lion bones imported from Africa. In addition, high cooks also add chamois, turtle shells, velvet incense, monkey bones, even buffalo and cow bones.
Traders and cooks also claim that they have to put opium in before buyers feel the effects when using tiger extract,” said Dr. Dang Vu.
Trade magnates revealed to him that domestic tigers are often raised in extremely bad conditions, in dark cellars, fattened with rancid meat or growth-promoting drugs. If they do not use domestic tigers, they will “import” frozen tigers from Laos or hand-carried tigers from South Africa.
Tigers need to be protected
According to the reporter’s research, the traders of tiger gum often advertise that the use of products from rare wild animals such as tiger gum, rhino horn, ivory, etc. will cure cancer or incurable diseases. other medicine.
However, according to experts, this is just a way to get rich illegally by a group of people. They spread rumors about the use of wild animal products, causing people to spread the word, believing that using these products can cure many diseases.
Talk to PVPeopleProfessor – People’s Teacher Nguyen Lan Dung said that it is illegal to use and trade in rare animals such as tigers. Cao tiger is not a “panacea” and its use is not as divine as rumored.
“Tigers are rare animals that need to be protected. There are very few natural tigers in the world,” emphasized Prof. Nguyen Lan Dung.
Tiger bone essence sold in Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province in April 2022. (Photo: D.H)
Dr. Dang Vu affirmed that the use of tiger extract affects the conservation of tigers in the wild. There are many different modern healing methods available today.
People should maintain a healthy lifestyle, if they have an illness, they should go to the doctor for examination and treatment under the guidance of a doctor.
“Maybe you have that money, but using tiger gum is not worth it because its effects are not as clear as rumors. In particular, users cannot know what is in the tiger gum pieces, ensuring hygiene and safety. The use of tiger extract has many potential risks because no one knows what additives have been put into the high pot”, emphasized Dr. Dang Vu.
