(CN)Tibet express puts leopards on fast track to extinction

[Guest guest]

Tibet express puts leopards on fast track to extinction

Telegraph

By Peter Simpson in Beijing

21/10/2006

 

Sa Bei Long swung his large canvas sack of illegal goods over his shoulder

and disembarked at Beijing's main train station after his long journey from

Tibet.

 

The world's highest railway was intended to foster closer economic links

between China's capital and the disputed mountain province, but it is also

proving a fast, safe and cost-effective route to the country's richest

market for fur smugglers such as Sa.

 

Until the railway was opened in July, the 19-year-old trader would have had

to transport his wares by road, a long and hazardous journey along a route

on which fatal crashes are common.

 

Now, for just 780 yuan (£52) return, Sa – a Han Chinese – can carry his

precious cargo of exotic animal pelts on the 2,500-mile train ride from

Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, in just 48 hours. " I sell mainly to rich

Chinese. My last customer was a Taiwanese businessman, " he said, as he set

off on foot to hawk his illegal goods on the streets of Beijing. " The train

is easy to use, safe and cheap. Many people are using it to sell stuff all

over China. "

 

When the railway opened, critics warned that it would hasten the cultural

destruction of Tibet by making it more accessible to Han Chinese settlers.

They did not foresee the threat it would pose to some of the world's most

endangered species.

 

Many of Beijing's new rich have developed a taste for exotic animal hides to

adorn their homes. Now, thanks to fast rail access to the distant Himalayan

wilderness, they are easier to obtain – as are rare plants that are sought

after for herbal medicine.

 

Sa nervously scans the streets for danger as he seeks potential customers.

Beijing's many security officers are notoriously fickle, turning a blind eye

one day, demanding bribes the next.

 

He uses a wolf skin, tucked under one arm, to lure prospective customers

before offering them a discreet look inside his sack at the more exotic

furs. Last week, he had rare snow leopard skins for sale at 48,000 yuan

(£3,250) each, several black bear furs for 2,600 yuan and wolf pelts for 600

yuan.

 

An estimated 6,000 snow leopards remain in the wild and their numbers are

falling rapidly. China's black bears are also threatened, but tigers are

most at risk from the rising demand. Their skins are mostly brought into

Tibet from India and sold to smugglers eyeing the lucrative trade in

Beijing.

 

" Yes, I can get you a tiger skin for 200,000 yuan, " Sa boasted to The Sunday

Telegraph. " It will take 10 days to order and bring from Tibet by train. "

 

Believing he was talking to a potential buyer, Sa agreed to a private

showing of his wares at a Beijing hotel. On arrival, he nervously spread two

snow leopard skins and a black bear pelt on the bed. A pungent, musty smell

filled the room.

 

" The leopards were shot and the bullet went in here, " he said, pointing to

two small stitched incisions in the white, supple leather, " and came out

there. But the fur is in good condition. The poachers are good shots. "

 

Sa, one of an increasing number of fur vendors in Beijing, is paid a 10 per

cent commission on each item sold. " If you want a tiger skin, I will try and

catch the next available train, " he said.

 

He agreed to a bigger deal of five leopard skins at " a bargain " 30,000 yuan

each. Payment could be made in cash or transferred to a bank account, he

said. A brief handshake sealed the deal and he agreed to return the next

morning after picking up the order from a secret warehouse.

 

The Sunday Telegraph later cancelled the appointment with the smuggler and

alerted conservation organisations to the illegal trade.

 

" We were not aware that fur traders were using the train link to sell in

Beijing, " said Zhu Chun Quan, head of conservation operations for the World

Wildlife Fund (WWF) in China. " This has the potential to quicken the

extinction of tigers, snow leopards and other endangered species. We will

alert our officers in Lhasa and use the evidence you have provided to lobby

the Chinese government to enforce strict checks on passengers and their

luggage. " Convicted smugglers would face long prison sentences.

 

Endangered plants used in Chinese medicine are also in demand through the

new supply chain. Dr Jane Goodall, a British conservationist who is touring

China, said widespread corruption among railway officials and police made

laws ineffective.

 

" It is horrific to learn that this train is speeding up the extinction of

these magnificent animals and other endangered species, " she said. " It is up

to the Chinese government to educate its citizens that buying such furs and

plant medicines has irreversible consequences. "

 

Photo: Trader Sa Bei Long displays snow leopard pelts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/10/22/wtibet22.jpg

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/22/wtibet22.xml

 

_______________

Thousands of sexy singles online

http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Flavalife9%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2Eau%2\

Fclickthru%2Fclickthru%2Eact%3Fid%3Dninemsn%26context%3Dan99%26locale%3Den%5FAU%\

26a%3D23768 & _t=754951090 & _r=endtext_lavalife_oct_1000 & _m=EXT