This project will contribute to the conservation of lions by addressing the emerging impacts of the trade of lion parts and products to Asia, and its association with the overall illegal trade in tiger and CITES-listed big cat parts and products in Asia. There is currently a lack of available information on the lion bone trade in Asia. To fill this gap and address the impacts of the international lion bone trade, this two-year grant will support: information collection, including on entities involved and methods used in importing, supplying, and buying lion parts and products in Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC); development of a reference guide of risk indicators and red flags on suspicious imports to Asia in order to enhance countries ability to verify the legality of lion imports and better monitor and identify suspicious shipments; multi-agency workshops with CITES management and law enforcement government partners to increase awareness and knowledge on lion bone trade and associated illegal wildlife trade in Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and the PRC; and development of a user-friendly, species-specific big cat DNA kit to strengthen the ability of government officials to rapidly identify species that are being illegally traded.
Improving Awareness and Capacities for Management and Enforcement in relation to Lion Bone and associated Wildlife Trade in Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and China
