GettyWARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
Authorities discovered the bodies of five tigers, all of which had their organs removed, hidden inside a freezer in Vietnam.
Officials made their shocking discovery in the central Nghe An province and it’s believed that the endangered animals had been boiled down to make a medicine believed to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
The tigers are supposedly from the endangered Indochinese subspecies but officials are investigating further to see where the animals came from 9 New.au reports.
GettyAccording to an official report from the official provincial newspaper the bodies were found on Monday following a tipoff.
Tran Minh Son, deputy head of the Nghe Provincial Police Department for the Environment told DPA no arrests were made during raid as the house’s owner was abroad.
He said:
If we collect enough evidence, we will take criminal proceedings against the violator.
GettyTiger bones are used in a traditional Vietnamese medicine where they’re combined with rice wine in a mixture believed to treat arthritis.
A kilogram of tiger bone paste can sell for over £4,000 on the black market. and tiger paste is used to treat a number of ailments including headaches.
GettyConservationists claim that Vietnam is infamous for its poor treatment of endangered animals and also a key route for the illegal trade of animal parts throughout Asia.
Police in the country reportedly seize ivory, rhino horns and other exotic species but conservationists say this is just the tip of the iceberg.
It was reported last year that Vietnam had become the biggest hub in the world for trading rhinoceros horns and other parts.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.