Here's why tigers are being killed in Malaysia for medicine

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It’s no secret that tigers are being poached into oblivion in Malaysia. This country has long been used as a transit point for wildlife smuggling to other countries. And ironically tigers are our national symbol. Welp, so much for being a…

Seriously, did you know that there are only 3,890 tigers left in the wild? Yep, according to the IUCN and national surveys, that’s a HUGE drop from around 100,000 tigers back in 1900! 😢 And just think, if this keeps up, we might have to change our national emblem to something less cool. The world would be totally different if beer didn’t have a tiger in its logo, and Calvin was Hobbes-less.

tigers extinction logos — The world will not be the same if beer was tigerless and Calvin was without Hobbes

There are in fact many reasons for their dwindling numbers, some more ridiculous than others, but it all goes back to the same answer… human beings. So here are 8 WTF reasons why Malaysians and other people around the world kill tigers.

*Warning: Some images may be graphic.

1. Tiger whiskers are fed to an enemy to kill him

tiger whiskers scissor cut — Snip snip. Original image from todayonline.com

In Malaysia, people believe adding tiger whiskers to the food of their enemies will kill them. According to some forums, grinding up and feeding tiger whiskers to someone is like making them swallow ground glass. Yikes. As far as we can tell, this myth dates back to 17th century China, and it’s crazy to think that almost 400 years later, people still buy into it.

Then there’s this story of Peter Fleming, brother of famous James Bond author Ian Fleming, who recruited an Indian spy codenamed Silver during WW2. Silver was almost exposed by an Afghan man but saved himself by serving the man a curry mixed with some whiskers. This turned out to be the last meal the Afghan ever ate.

But the purported use of tiger whiskers vary from country to country. In India, a guard working in a wildlife sanctuary killed a six-year-old Bengal tigress just to get her whiskers, believing they’d boost his sexual prowess. Similarly, Indonesians believe tiger whiskers to be an aphrodisiac too. However, others in India as well as Pakistan use whiskers as an aid to childbirth.

2. Tiger brain is a cure for laziness and acne

homer lazy simpson eat tiger brains — Image from thesun.co.uk

Some of you may be familiar with old Chinese beliefs that using or eating tiger parts can cure ailments or boost one’s health in general. But have you heard that some people believe mixing tiger brains with oil and rubbing that mixture on your body can cure laziness…and acne?!

Well, acne we understand since it’s a skin disease – even though there is NO medical or scientific proof of the efficacy of tiger medicine – but laziness? Really?? Tiger blood also is supposed to boost a person’s willpower.

In these modern times, it’s probably better to just grab a strong cup of coffee. Or try these tips to overcome laziness instead. As for acne, there are plenty of ways to tackle it that doesn’t involve killing tigers, from lifestyle changes to retinoids and creams with benzoyl peroxide.

3. Tiger meat and penis helps people perform better in the bedroom

Pic shows: Police seized the heads and skins of tigers and leopards from a restaurant where they were being chopped up for meat.nnRussian cops have seized the heads and skins of tigers and leopards from a restaurant where they were being chopped up for meat and served as delicacy dishes.nnThe officers also confiscated 110 pounds of meat they believe came from a rare Amur tiger and Amur leopard.nnThe restaurant on the outskirts of the Russian capital Moscow prided itself on serving up what it called exotic and expensive dishes.nnBut police suspect that they also ran a lucrative trade in not only serving customers the dead animals to eat but also in selling on the remains to Asian markets for use in traditional medicine.nnA police spokesman said: "We are working on the assumption that the animals were hunted and killed to facilitate the restaurant offering exotic and lucrative dishes.nn"It is also possible that the remains not used in cooking could be sold on for high sums to the traditional Asian medicine market.nn"One kilogramme of tiger meat can fetch around 1,000 GBP.nn"Heads are estimated to be valued at 2,500 GBP while the tiger skin is estimated to be worth around 7,000 GBP.nn"Tiger meat is quite popular amongst certain members of the elite because they believe that eating them improves performance from the boardroom to the bedroom."nnAccording to the World Wide Fund For Nature, both the Amur leopard and tiger are endangered species with the leopard being labelled as critically endangered.nnPolice are now questioning a Vietnamese employee of the restaurant on suspicion of killing and trafficking the animals to Moscow.nn(ends) — This photo was taken at a Russian restaurant that served tiger meat. Image from Daily Mail

Kahang town in Johor is one such place known for its many restaurants serving exotic food, including tiger meat. Regular customer Danny Chin explained that tiger meat is said to help people, ahem, perform in the bedroom, and is typically served either fried with curry powder or cooked with herbs.

“The price for a plate of tiger meat fried with curry power is about RM40.” – Danny Chin, customer of restaurants in Kahang, The Star

tiger penis china — Tiger penis for sale in China. Image from Daily Mail

Tiger penis is also rumored to be a potent aphrodisiac. In some places, a Malayan tiger’s penis with testicles could set you back between RM10,000 and RM15,000. Believe it or not, there’s even a restaurant chain in China specializing in dishes featuring tiger penis!

“In terms of nourishing the yang, tiger penis is definitely top. If you handle tiger penis properly, and mix together with Chinese herbs, it really has the best possible effect – much better than Viagra.” – Zhang Yang, restaurant manager, Time

4. Tiger claws and paws protects children from the evil eye

tiger paw1 — This tiger paw belongs to an anonymous friend of CILISOS. The things that look like entrails are actually tendons

As mentioned earlier, Chinese culture, especially Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has a long history with tigers and their uses. But did you know that in many Asian countries still steeped in superstition, tigers are believed to possess mystical powers? For instance, parents in India would buy tiger claws and fix it to the necklaces of children to protect them from the evil eye. This practice is inspired by depictions of child deities who are shown wearing tiger claws on their necklaces.

In Malaysia, a Malayan tiger claw can fetch between RM500-RM1,000. Over here, claws and paws are considered sacred. According to an anonymous Cili-source, it’s often used for protection from supernatural forces.

“My dad says, ‘Don’t ask me la, I’m not that old… It’s to keep the house safe from evil spirits’.” – our anonymous friend

5. Burnt tiger hair can allegedly drive away centipedes

tiger burn hair — Image from youwall.com

Another weird reason people go after tigers is to get their hair. Apparently, burning tiger hair is believed to repel centipedes (altho there’s no word on whether it works on in-laws). Unfortunately, we can’t find any sources out there that points to the origin of this belief, so while it might exist, it’s not exactly a widespread practice.

Aiyo, how about using insecticide and keeping your home clean and dry instead. Use these real tips to keep centipedes away.

6. Tiger’s skin is used as protection from evil spirits

tiger skins poaching kedah — Officials seized tiger skins in Kedah, near the Malaysia-Thai border. Image from dawn.com

So apparently, skin can have magical powers. And no, this is not the kind of skin you’d use in your video games. The Indonesians believe that donning a tiger’s skin during meditation will protect them from evil spirits. The reason being tigers are viewed as protective figures and even forest guardians.

Apart from the mythical stuff, tiger skin is highly sought after for making clothes, carpets, and various fashion items. Some even go as far as killing tigers to use their skin as home decor. And get this: the tiger’s chin skin is especially coveted because it’s believed to attract good fortune and boost the immunity.

Whole tiger skins could go for RM15,000, and with the head, it could cost RM35,000. This is by far, the most expensive part of the tiger we’ve come across in this list.

7. Tiger eyeball pills are a remedy for convulsions

Rolling tiger eyeballs into pills is an alleged remedy for malaria and convulsions, more specifically epilepsy. This is what TCM doctors in China will recommend for those who have that condition. In fact, other parts of the tiger, like their noses and bile (yes, that nasty green fluid from the organ), are also reputed for treating convulsions. If you were to buy a pair of eyes in Taiwan, you might have to pay $170 (approx RM700).

8. Tiger bones are preserved in wine as a health tonic

tiger bone wine carcass china — A tiger skeleton soaks in rice wine in Harbin, China. Image from nationalgeographic.com

Out of the 8 points in this article, tiger bone wine is perhaps one of the most popular and widely known of the TCMs, aside from tiger meat and penis. Farms in China sometimes starve tigers to death, then steep their bones in rice wine for up to eight years. Drinking it is believed to boost one’s sex life or even acts as a general tonic, as taken by the Taiwanese.

In other cultures, tiger bones if ground into powder and taken with a glass of warm water is a treatment for rheumatism and headaches. Tiger bone is believed to have a warming effect, which is why it’s often used for cold diseases, one of which is rheumatism. Ground bones could cost up to RM800-RM1,500 per kg in Malaysia.

Recently, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) urged people to stop drinking tiger bones because the claimed medicinal benefits have no basis. Hopefully, this will make some people realise that there is no use wasting money on these things.

Three tiger species are extinct already. What happens when others die out too?

tiger hugging sad crying — Original image from Cats in Care Pinterest

Of the original 9 tiger subspecies, Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers have become extinct thanks to relentless hunting. Now the world is left with Bengal, Indochinese, Siberian, South China, Sumatran and our very own Malayan tigers. And all these six subspecies are classified as either endangered or critically endangered.

How did this magnificent animal, the largest of the big cat species and an apex predator, dwindle so cat-astrophically in numbers?

It’s heartbreaking and maddening that such an iconic animal in Malaysia is being driven to extinction by sheer ignorance and greed. The use of tiger parts in traditional medicine is a myth with no scientific basis—just pure nonsense. If we don’t start taking this seriously soon enough, we’ll not only lose these majestic creatures but also face a future where our national emblem becomes a tragic reminder of what once was.