A Chinese zoo has sparked safety concerns and come under fire after selling tiger urine, claiming its “medicinal” properties could treat rheumatism.
The South China Morning Post reports that a visitor to the Yaan Bifengxia Wildlife Zoo in Sichuan province, southwestern China posted on social media saying the zoo was selling a “medicinal tiger urine” from Siberian tigers for 50 yuan ($7) per bottle, with each bottle containing around 250g.
The bottle claims that tiger urine has a “good therapeutic effect” on medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, and muscle pain.
It recommends mixing the urine with white wine before applying it to affected areas along with ginger slices. It also says the urine can be taken orally, but that users should discontinue if they have an allergic reaction.
Speaking to Chinese media outlet The Paper, the zoo said the urine was collected from a basin the tigers urinated in. It’s unclear if the liquid is disinfected before being sold.
The zoo said tiger urine sales are “average”, with a maximum of two bottles sold per day.
The incident has gone viral on mainland China social media, with related topics gaining more than 35 million views.
One zoo visitor commented: “I bought some for my dad out of curiosity, but have not seen any effect, so it is just sitting there.”
Urine could treat rheumatism, says zoo
Another social media user said: “I am thinking of buying a bottle for my mum. No side effects, so I thought I would give it a try.”
An anonymous pharmacist from a traditional Chinese medicine hospital said tiger urine is not a traditional medicine and has no proven medicinal effect.
He told the South China Morning Post: “Exaggerating its value without evidence distorts traditional Chinese medicine and harms tiger conservation.”
However, the zoo said it had a business licence to sell tiger urine.
Elsewhere, an aquarium in Japan has been cheering up a lonely sunfish by taping photographs of human faces to the animal’s tank during a temporary closure.
