A day after India and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on environment and climate change, including management of forests, a new investigation has revealed that skins and other body parts of Indian wild tigers and leopards are being sold openly in China and at much higher prices than before.

The investigation carried out by an international NGO, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), states that the prices of tiger and leopard parts in Chinese markets have doubled since 2005: tiger skins are selling for 11,660-21,860 dollars, leopard skins for 1,020-2,770 dollars.

During the investigation, which was carried out in July and August this year for a total of 21 days in parts of western China and Tibet, around 9 nine tiger skins, 12 leopard skins and nearly 50 other leopard derivatives were found in various shops. In Tibet, 9 people were found wearing tiger skins and 25 people wearing leopard skins.

The fact that the prices have escalated — as per the EIA’s report — show that the demand has gone up. “As compared to 2005, prices of parts of both animals have more than doubled,” says Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection Society of India.

Among the products available in Chinese and Tibetan shops were full skins for mounting on walls, capes with leopard and tiger trim, bones, skeletons, teeth and skulls, and chupas (Tibetan capes) made with leopard and tiger skins. All skins were reportedly procured over the past year and traders said they were brought from India.

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