For the first time, a global examination of the big cat industry in China will shine a light on the horrors of the supply chain of big cats for use in products in Chinese medicine. World Animal Protection has completed an examination of the industry and what was uncovered is absolutely horrific. Big cats bred for Chinese medicines have a horrendous life from the minute they are born in this industry. From birth, lion cubs particularly suffer the highest forms of exploitation. Breeding facilities in South Africa were exposed for having some of the cruelest and most despicable conditions for the lion cubs to endure. There were tiny, dark cages with cubs crying and in some cases, cubs missing limbs and suffering from deformities from inbreeding. This is only the beginning of their awful lives destined for slaughter.
Once slaughtered, they are skinned and used for trophies with the bones being exported to China where they are used for medicine. Shockingly, a high percentage of Chinese people truly believe that these medicines really work despite having absolutely no scientific proof that they are effective at all. An alarmingly high percentage of people believe that wild cat bones yield stronger medicines than those bred for medicine which leads to cubs being stolen from the wild and an increase in illegal poaching of big cats like jaguars, tigers, and lions. This false belief that these medicines are beneficial is fueling an industry that is inhumane and exploitative but also pushing these wild cats closer and closer to endangerment and inevitably, extinction. There is hope however as a good percentage of people surveyed said they would be willing to try herbal and synthetic alternatives to big cat medicines if the price was right. It is imperative that global condemnation continues in an effort to deter more people from utilizing big cat medicines. Without these herbal alternatives picking up steam and becoming more mainstream, more big cats will be born into a life of absolute misery.
We are witnessing one of the largest mass extinctions in our history and it is entirely human caused. Whether through the effects of climate change, illegal poaching and habitat loss, overfishing etc., we are pushing millions of species to extinction and we're showing no signs of stopping. What will we do when we have nothing left? Will we turn to cannibalism? Will we turn to forced slavery? Inbreeding to produce humans used for experiments, entertainment, and medicines?
It's a frightening thought to think that people really don't see what's happening to the world. Luckily, the rise of veganism, vegetarianism, and animal activism continues to grow. All we can hope is that the world catches on before it is too late. HAPPY VEG
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