By Oliver Slow

YANGON, Myanmar 

The trade in illegal wild cat parts between Myanmar and China has more than trebled in the last eight years, a group that monitors the trade in wildlife reported Monday.

TRAFFIC found the number of outlets offering tiger, leopard and other wild cat parts in the border town of Mong La increased from six in 2006 to 21 this year.

Between 2000 and last year, the number of illicit animal trade shops in Tachileik, a town near the Thai border, fell from 35 to six.

According to the report’s authors – Chris R. Shepherd, Southeast Asia director for TRAFFIC, and Vincent Nijman, professor of anthropology at Oxford Brookes University in Britain – the increase in the trade with China is likely to due to the increased spending power of Chinese customers and the ease of crossing the porous border.

“The demand for wildlife in China is depleting many of Myanmar’s species and, in fact, many species from throughout Southeast Asia,” Shepherd told The Anadolu Agency.

“Mong La, situated immediately on the border with China, is one of the largest open wildlife markets in Asia and caters completely to demand from China. Many of the species sold there are legally protected, and many are highly threatened.

“Without strong enforcement measures, the trade will continue, driving many of the threatened species closer to extinction. In the longer term, awareness of the conservation crisis wildlife in Myanmar and throughout Southeast Asia needs to be raised.”

He added: “Myanmar has a long list of species on the brink of extinction.”

The reduction in the trade in wildlife parts with Thailand is likely due to greater enforcement and a change in customer demand.

Most of the cat parts on sale included claws, skulls, teeth and skins, with over 2,000 parts found to be on sale.

Among the species commonly found on sale were leopard cat, Indochinese leopard, tiger and Asiatic golden cat.

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