VietNamNet Bridge – Tiger bone glue has been advertised on many websites at VND3 million per 0.1 kilo. Though people know that this is made of the bone of tigers, a wildlife species, and though the product is very expensive, they would not mind paying for it.

Tiger bone glue is considered one of the rarest and most expensive products used in traditional medicine, which is very strong in enhancing one’s masculinity. However, the products have become more popular recently after being put on sale on small ads of websites.

“We have tiger bone glue, 100 percent genuine, VND13 million per 0.1 kilo,” the ad piece was found on muaban…

Meanwhile, on muabanraovat…, a person named Minh, introducing himself as a local resident in the mountainous area of Hoa Binh province, advertised that he has tiger bone glue for sale at VND3 million per 0.1 kilo.

Minh, in order to persuade people that his product is “extremely good,” said that he was born into a family which once specialized in making tiger bone glue. However, his parents have given up the career, and he just tries to sell the glue left in his house.

If clicking “cho cao ho” (tiger bone glue market), one would read the ad on the sale of genuine bone glue at VND30 million per 0.1 kilo with 200 visitors.

All the pieces of concentrated tiger bone glue have their thrilling stories about the origin. A seller affirmed that his piece of bone glue was sourced from the High Command of Border Guard. Another said he bought the tiger bone glue before from a foreign ranger, who seized a tiger many years ago and made bone glue from the tiger.

“The tigers, which were killed by poachers, were seized when the foreign rangers discovered the illegal hunting,” he explained.

However, NN, a man from Vinh City in Nghe An province, who has deep knowledge about tiger bone glue, affirmed that there is no 100 percent genuine tiger bone glue nowadays.

“I believe that the glue is made of only 10 percent of tiger bone,” he said. “The other 90 percent are made of the bones of other kinds of animals.”

When asked about the big price gap between VND3 million and VND13 million per 0.1 kilo, NN affirmed that even the more expensive product is not the genuine product.

Herbalist Nguyen Duc Nghia from the Tue Lan clinic also said that most of the “tiger bone glue” was made of the pig, dog, buffalo or cow bones. However, in some cases, this is still considered the miracle which could be the cure for all ills.

In fact, Nghia said that the counterfeit tiger bone glue just can help patients feel better thanks to the opium added into it. Not only opium, but some kinds of paint relief tablets were also mixed into the tiger bone glue. Therefore, Nghia has warned that tiger bone glue users may become addicts one day.

While people repeatedly urge relevant agencies to stop the trade of wildlife on Internet, the agencies still keep puzzled with the matter.

Nguyen Huu Huan from the HCM City Forest Rangers’ Unit said that tiger is a species of wildlife listed in the Red Book which must be protected. Therefore, the behaviors of hunting and trading tigers must be punished. But how?

An official of the HCM City Market Control Sub-department admitted that it’s very difficult to trace down the sellers on the contact addresses their leave on websites. In general, the addresses shown on websites are just “bogus.” Meanwhile, actual sellers and buyers make transactions through different ways.

Compiled by Kim Chi