Save the Siberian Tiger from Extinction

The Siberian tiger, or Amur tiger, is one of the five remaining subspecies and is critically endangered with one of the primary threats to its' survival in the wild being poaching.

Their former range included northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula, and as far west as Mongolia. Now, almost all wild Siberian tigers live the Southeast corner of Russia in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range east of the Amur River.

Tigers are most commonly poached for their fur and for their body parts used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 1993 the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued a notice declaring the use of tiger bone from wild tigers for medicinal purposes to be illegal. However, wild tigers are captured from the wild, and put on "tiger farms", thus consider captive tigers, not wild ones. Because using tiger parts as "medicine" such a lucrative trade, a single tiger can bring up to $50k on the International market, so the practice is still flourishing.

If the Siberian tiger is to survive extinction in the wild, China must do more to replace the Traditional Chinese Medicine with phamecutical alternatives and substitue medicines.

Mr. Xiaosong Zheng
Director General
Ministry of Finance - International Department
Sanlihe Xicheng District
Beijing - 100820
China
Tel: + 8610 6855 1122
Fax: + 8610 6855 1125
EMail: xs.zheng@mof.gov.cn

Ms. Jiandi Ye
Deputry Director
Ministry of Finance
IFI Division III International Department San Li He St. Xichengqu
Beijing - 100820
China
Tel: + 86 10 6855-1171
Fax: + 86 10 6855 1125
EMail: jdye@mof.gov.cn