This is an excerpt from an article written by Nica Richards and published by The Citizen on 29 July, 2020
South Africa’s lion bone export quotas make it easy to trade tiger parts and bones destined for Asian markets, putting further pressure on the last remaining wild tigers.
There are fewer than 4,000 tigers left in the wild, 95% fewer than there were since the start of the 20th Century.
Every indication points to this number dwindling fast, giving animal rights organisations very little time to save wild tigers from extinction.
If tigers become extinct, the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of human beings. At this rate, there may not be many World Tiger Day celebrations left.
The sinister business of breeding and trading tigers has been a serious concern for animal rights groups for many years. Despite this, these illegal activities still take place throughout South Africa, with many citizens boasting about owning a tiger cub in their backyard.