Two frozen tigers and a panther were confiscated by environmental police in the central province of Nghe An late last week.
The animals and 5kg of suspected tiger bones were found at the home of a 53-year old man in Dien Chau district, who was arrested by police.
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, commended the authorities for their diligence in enforcing Vietnam 's wildlife laws.
"The environmental police have demonstrated once again their dedication to halting the illegal trade in protected species such as tigers," said Thomas Osborn, coordinator of TRAFFIC's Greater Mekong Programme.
Despite their protection under Vietnamese and international law, tigers and panthers continue to be illegally hunted and traded across Vietnam and Southeast Asia for their meat, as souvenirs, and for their bones, used in traditional medicine and to make tiger bone wine.
In March this year, Quang Tri province's Lao Bao Border Guard Police discovered a tiger (95kg) and a black panther (27kg) being transported across the border to be sold in Vietnam.
In October last year, environmental police seized two frozen tiger carcasses weighing a total of 130kg and arrested five suspects in Hanoi .
As few as 30 wild tigers are estimated to survive in Vietnam .
"If we hope to save the country's remaining tigers and other threatened species, it will take ever-increasing vigilance from authorities and a strong commitment by the government to support and promote existing wildlife laws," said Osborn.
With only an estimated 3,200 individuals remaining worldwide, wild tigers are in danger of disappearing within a decade./.
The animals and 5kg of suspected tiger bones were found at the home of a 53-year old man in Dien Chau district, who was arrested by police.
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, commended the authorities for their diligence in enforcing Vietnam 's wildlife laws.
"The environmental police have demonstrated once again their dedication to halting the illegal trade in protected species such as tigers," said Thomas Osborn, coordinator of TRAFFIC's Greater Mekong Programme.
Despite their protection under Vietnamese and international law, tigers and panthers continue to be illegally hunted and traded across Vietnam and Southeast Asia for their meat, as souvenirs, and for their bones, used in traditional medicine and to make tiger bone wine.
In March this year, Quang Tri province's Lao Bao Border Guard Police discovered a tiger (95kg) and a black panther (27kg) being transported across the border to be sold in Vietnam.
In October last year, environmental police seized two frozen tiger carcasses weighing a total of 130kg and arrested five suspects in Hanoi .
As few as 30 wild tigers are estimated to survive in Vietnam .
"If we hope to save the country's remaining tigers and other threatened species, it will take ever-increasing vigilance from authorities and a strong commitment by the government to support and promote existing wildlife laws," said Osborn.
With only an estimated 3,200 individuals remaining worldwide, wild tigers are in danger of disappearing within a decade./.
