With so few tigers left to supply the demand for illegal wildlife products, the black market trade has shifted its focus to the next biggest cat species: the African lion.
It is long-known that China’s and Vietnam’s appetite for tiger parts has driven the largest cat species in the world to the brink of extinction. This destructive demand derives from a common misbelief that by consuming parts of majestic creatures, such as the tiger, one inherently obtains the desirable physical attributes of the animal. The consumption of tiger paws and penises must cause thirst, and now Asians and other delicacy-seekers can wet their whistles with a fine tiger bone wine. Myth has it that drinking this wine can have healing effects for arthritis and rheumatism, as well as one’s social standing. The recipe for the wine is simple: a tiger’s skeleton (and sometimes the entire carcass) is soaked in a large vat of wine for an extended period of time. Having reached a point where there are no longer enough tigers to meet these demands, alternatives are being sought and tigers’ bones are being replaced with those of another big cat: the lion.
As long as African lions are only listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), trade in lions, their body parts, and products derived from lions is legal with a valid permit — making lion bones cheaper and easier to obtain than those of tigers. Amid rising concerns about declining lion populations, these large felines now face a new threat. Throughout Africa, the highly controversial breeding of lions specifically for trophy hunting (which frequently takes form through a travesty known as “canned hunting”) has proved to be a valuable source for acquiring the bones needed for the wine. Southern Africa’s predator breeding industry has come under scrutiny and a pending court case could potentially bring it to an end, according to National Geographic‘s David Braun. 
With their business jeopardized by this, some breeders claim they have been forced to kill some of their lions to sell the bones. One predator breeder even went as far as saying, “You’ve bred for hunting and now it’s being stopped. What do you do with those things [the lions]?”
Trophy hunters have also exploited this new demand for lion bones. Some even returning to canned hunting farms to dig up the bones they’ve left behind. The insanely high (and increasing) value of the bones is the obvious driver. The National Geographic blog article explains that lion bones now fetch between US$3,000-$5,000 per kilogram. If the wine is sold as “tiger bone wine”, it sells for just over US$151 for a single pint. That lion bone wine can so easily be sold as that of tigers only highlights the fact that this superstition-steeped fluid actually has no medicinal properties whatsoever.
Many concerns are raised from this new trade in lion bones. While the demand for lion bones has greatly increased with what appears to be a regular supply from southern Africa’s predator breeding industry, many are concerned that these breeders will now breed lions simply to sell their bones. And if that’s not bad enough, many are becoming more and more concerned that wild lions may soon become another target — much like what we are now seeing with rhinos and the rhino horn trade. These concerns are not unjustified, as it is largely known that the consumer demand seeks bones sourced from wild animals, as opposed to those that have been bred in captivity. It’s possible that the illegal market is already growing, as The Daily Mail recently reported that a Vietnamese national was apprehended last year in Pretoria, South Africa after being found with thirteen lions he had poached. The world has already seen many rare animals driven to the brink of extinction by East and Southeast Asia’s insatiable appetite for wildlife, such as rhinos, pangolins, sea horses, and others. Is anything safe anymore?
Image #1 ©Bhatti Ijaz, adapted by author
Image #2 ©Bhatti Ijaz
I am a biologist-turned-writer, with a BSc in wildlife science from Oregon State University. I have been writing about global wildlife conservation issues since 2009. You may know me from my previous role at Bush Warriors or from my ongoing work with Annamiticus, Saving Rhinos, and Project Pangolin. When I'm not blogging, I enjoy loud music, creating art, hula hooping, and being outdoors. Read more of my articles here.
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