In a scenic attraction of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, “tiger urine” is available for purchase at 50 yuan ($6.87) per bottle, accompanied by claims of therapeutic benefits for rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions.
However, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expert said that tiger urine is not a recognized traditional remedy, and its efficacy remains unsubstantiated, according to The Paper on Wednesday.
The claimed benefits of this tiger urine allegedly include relief for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, external wind-damp arthritis pain, and injuries from falls. The recommended method of application involves combining it with white liquor and applying it to affected areas with ginger slices, said the report. Customers are advised to discontinue use if they experience any allergic reactions from internal consumption.
The selling location of this tiger urine is a wildlife park within the Bifeng Gorge Scenic Area in Ya’an, Sichuan Province, a nationally designated 5A-level tourist destination, said the report.
Relevant personnel said that the tiger urine being sold is collected directly from the tigers themselves, by collecting it in basins before bottling for sale. The park asserted that the tiger urine meets necessary qualifications, and as long as there is a business license with operating permission, it can be sold.
The staff mentioned that the sales volume is generally average, with sometimes one or two bottles sold in a day, while at other times, none are sold at all.
“I don’t know of how long the tiger urine had been sold,” the staff said. However, The Paper found that in 2014, the scenic area had introduced the “tiger urine” from the Siberian tiger as a unique offering on its WeChat account and had used it as a prize for winning celebrities in outdoor reality show games.
A TCM expert who asked to remain anonymous said that tiger urine lacks recognition as a traditional medicine, and offers no proven therapeutic benefits. While tiger bone can indeed treat rheumatism, it remains a prohibited substance, said the report. Regarding the claimed efficacy, the expert noted that such assertions lack rationality.
Expert also said that the scenic area is not qualified to sell such products, as all medications require approval from government regulatory authorities before they can be used by patients.
Global Times