Month: February 2009

Tiger-Bone Wine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has an ancient and multifaceted heritage that goes back thousands of years and is linked to Taoist and Buddhist philosophies.

Practices such as acupuncture, massage, dietary plans, and breathing and meditation regimes are integral to TCM, and it also comprises over 800 recognised herbal and other medicinal treatments. Based on the holistic notion that humans are intimately linked to their surroundings, these treatments are traditionally mixed from natural components − plant, mineral and animal products.

In many instances, the cures and remedies are made from animal body parts and require that the animal be killed. A number of the species used to make these medicines are now listed as threatened or endangered and, in the case of the most high-profile animals, they have become major international conservation issues.

Rhinos, tigers, sharks, musk deer, bears, buffaloes and seahorses are all well-known examples of animals that are killed for such purposes. It is in this context that TCM has acquired its somewhat tarnished reputation, particularly as the efficacy of many of its treatments is in doubt or has been disproved.

In fact, some of the medicines are based on nothing more than spurious assumptions of a link between a human ailment or dysfunction and a behavioural characteristic of the animal. One of the more obscure tonics is a ‘wine’ that has tiger bones as its crucial ingredient. Apart from its novelty value for Westerners, this product is of interest because it may be linked to two other factors at play in southern Africa at the moment: the substantial increase in the number of rhinos being killed and the meteoric rise in the price of lion bones.

Because the tiger is seen as an agile, strong and energetic animal, tiger-bone wine is advocated as a stimulant for those suffering from fatigue or bone-related ailments, such as arthritis and rheumatism.

It is made by soaking tiger bones in rice wine for lengthy periods. In some instances, whole carcasses may be left in the wine for years at a time. The belief is that by absorbing nutrients from the bones, the wine will pass on the animal’s strength and vitality to the drinker.

Since the trade in tiger body parts was banned in the early 1990s, the production and availability of tiger wine has fallen.

While a small amount of wine comes illegally from farms that are allowed to breed tigers for circus performances, this is insufficient to meet the demand, which appears to be increasing. Commercial producers in China are looking for other options.

Lobbying to have the trading ban on tiger body parts lifted is one way to increase production; another way involves a possible link with South Africa. Over the past two years, the price of lion bones has leapt from less than US$10 per kilogram to more than US$300 per kilogram. Word in the murky underworld where these markets exist is that prices will continue to increase and that large syndicates are placing orders for more than 30 lionesses to be shot in cages at one time.

Traditionally, lionesses are not sought after as trophies, so why are people paying to shoot such large numbers of them? At present prices, the bones of one lioness are worth more than the average asking price to shoot one − US$4 000. It is plausible that merchants for tiger-bone wine in the Far East may have found a substitute for tiger bones.

And, what about the link to rhinos? Since the South African government again legalised trophy hunting for white rhinos, the number of animals killed has risen substantially. In 2007, 157 hunting permits were issued for rhino, with the vast majority going to Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. Rhino poaching levels have also increased dramatically in the past 18 months. Since the beginning of 2008, at least 48 carcasses have been found.

We also know that Far Eastern nationals are heavily involved in syndicate poaching.

If you are a syndicate trader in South Africa on business to buy up rhino horn, why not have a look around for other profitable commodities? Anyone for some lion bones?

I believe the authorities must investigate the possibility of a criminal element in the links between rhino trophy hunting in South Africa, the increase in rhino poaching, the rapid rise in the price of lion bones and the number of Far East-based animal-trading syndicates operating in southern Africa.

eThekwini gets the ball rolling for 2010 reforestation offsets

The ball has started rolling in Durban’s reforestation efforts to ‘offset’ the carbon emissions likely to be associated with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. eThekwini recently launched the first of their ‘Greening Durban 2010’ reforestation projects at the Buffelsdraai landfill site, near Verulam. A 750ha ‘buffer zone’ is being created around the site where the community reforestation project has started. The project forms part of the eThekwini municipality’s bold commitment to hosting a ‘carbon neutral’ 2010 World Cup.

Along with all the excitement and many benefits of hosting a World Cup, comes a negative side too: its impact on the environment, notably the carbon footprint left behind after all the goal kicking has long since ended. Germany’s 2006 World Cup footprint was estimated at 92 000 tonnes of carbon, Durban’s alone will be an estimated 200 000 tonnes! The reason for this is largely due to the amount of infrastructure (stadiums & roads etc,) we’ve had to build and our countries inferior transport system. The calculations were done using the same method as Germany and take into account the stadium construction materials and its energy consumption; in-county transport to Durban and within Durban; as well as energy consumption in hotels used for the accommodation of guests.

Taking all this into consideration a ‘carbon neutral’ event seems like a bold goal. It is, but “we will reach it within 20 years”, said the confident environmental consultant to municipality, Nicci Diederichs. Diederichs, along with Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of the Wildlands Conservation Trust, who are the implementing partner on the Buffelsdraai project, are not afraid to think big: “We like bold and adventurous”, he said, “because if you’re not, you don’t get anything done”. Venter explained the project: “The Wildlands team work with community members teaching them to grow indigenous trees, which they can barter for food, school uniforms and other necessities. ‘Green Teams’ are then paid to plant the trees out in the landfill buffer zone.”

Although the project will only account for a few thousand tons of the two hundred thousand that need to be offset, “its also restoring important forest habitat and at the same time addressing poverty in the local communities”, said Venter. At least one hundred and fifty of the Buffelsdraai buffer zone will ultimately be restored to indigenous forest, trapping thousands of tonnes of CO2.

Debra Roberts, Deputy Head of eThekwini’s Environmental Management Department, has an even more ambitious goal than a carbon neutral 2010; she would like to one day have the entire Durban City ‘carbon neural’, although admittedly “it won’t be in my life-time” she said. This project may be a drop in the ocean, but with community participation, 2010 hype and big thinkers like Roberts, Venter and Diederichs leading the way, there’s sure to be some giant waves developing on Durban’s coastline (that aren’t of the Climate Change kind).