Animal exploitation has hit a new low with the news from a Chinese zoo that it is selling bottled tiger urine for a cool Rs 596. The zoo claims the urine can cure ailments like arthritis, muscle pain, and sprains, but no scientist has endorsed this, while experts condemned the practice of selling urine as unethical and dangerous.
In Sichuan province, the Yaan Bifengxia Wildlife Zoo has been marketing bottled tiger pee as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, and muscular soreness.
The South China Morning Post was the first to report on this strange "remedy" (SCMP).
The article claims that a tourist posting pictures of the merchandise on social media sparked the issue. The zoo had been charging 50 yuan (about Rs 596) for 250-gram vials of Siberian tiger urine.
Users were instructed on the label to apply a mixture of urine and white wine to the afflicted areas using slices of ginger. What's even more shocking is that the zoo said it may be taken orally, but with a warning to cease if allergic reactions happened.
According to a staff worker, the tiger urine is taken from the basins where the animals urinate, although it's not apparent if the material is disinfected in any way.
The Zoo's unsubstantiated statements were quickly criticized by medical experts. Tiger urine is not a recognized treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, according to a pharmacist from the Hubei Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.
As reported by SCMP, the said, "Exaggerating its value without evidence not only distorts traditional Chinese medicine but also harms tiger conservation efforts."
According to SCMP, tigers have long been seen as emblems of power in Chinese culture, and tiger bones have been used to treat ailments including rheumatism and epilepsy in ancient medical literature. To save seriously endangered animals, the Chinese government has banned such activities. For hunting tigers, violators risk severe penalties and jail time.