elephant tusks, the horns of a bull and the legs and arms of a bear

Police in Vietnam have recently conducted a whole series of raids on shops and houses belong to people who were suspected of being part of a gang involved in the illegal trade in rare and exotic animal parts.  The gangs that operate in Hanoi and other Vietnamese cities make a fortune from selling these animal parts as erectile dysfunction medications.

Among other things that they found there were frozen tiger parts and soups made from the skull of a monkey. In fact one particular raid netted a whole tiger which had been cut up and placed in a deep freeze. Other things that the police found were elephant tusks, the horns of a bull and the legs and arms of a bear. All of these animals are protected species under international law and the trade in them is illegal.

The police arrested Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh who is suspected to be the ringleader of the gang and who admitted that she had been producing a special a tiger paste which was made out of different parts of the animal.  Any part of the tiger is greatly prized in the eastern world for its effect on erectile function and libido. The police are following up leads and believe that the animals were killed in wildlife Parks in remote areas of Vietnam and then were sold to the gangs operating out of Hanoi. The trade is extremely lucrative for the gangs as a small jar of tiger paste can sell for over £200 which is a great deal of money in a poor country like Vietnam.

You must be extremely careful not to buy these things because you will be endangering the lives of rare and protected animals if you do so. Many tourists tend to buy these things more as a joke and for a bit of fun but the implications of their actions could be serious. It is also illegal to buy these things and to bring them home with you on the plane. So be warned do not try these erectile dysfunction remedies and research has shown that in any case they do not have any physical effect on erectile function.