Why isn trade in tiger and rhino parts interdicted?
Commercial trade of raw rhino horn and tiger bone and their derivative products is prohibited by CITES as well as by domestic legislation in several countries, including Canada, the United States, and China. In Canada and the United States, the burden of proving that those products actually contain the species listed rests with the government. According to the WWF, although seizures occur at the port of entry when products are occasionally intercepted, few, if any, prosecutions of those dealing in these medicines have taken place because current forensic techniques are as yet unable to detect many of the derivatives in these products. The offer for sale of these otherwise illegally imported medicines continues because of lack of a strong law enforcement deterrent and, presumably, lack of consumer awareness about the problem. Conservationists believe that the ongoing availability of these products in North America constitutes a violation of CITES and of domestic legislation, is a threat
