In a recent investigation by the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), it was discovered that body parts of leopards and pangolins, two of the most trafficked and endangered mammals globally, are being used in at least 88 traditional Chinese medicines. These medicines are manufactured by 72 Chinese firms and are licensed by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Shockingly, some of these traditional medicines also contain parts from tigers and rhinos, a direct violation of recommendations by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Leopards and pangolins, along with tigers and rhinos, are listed in CITES Appendix I, which strictly prohibits international commercial trade of their body parts or derivatives.
Furthermore, the EIA’s investigation identified 62 banks and financial institutions, including Fortune 500 companies, operating in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which have invested in three publicly listed Chinese pharmaceutical groups manufacturing nine products that contain body parts from leopards and pangolins.
These alarming findings are part of the EIA’s latest report, “Investing in Extinction: How Global Sectors Profit from Traditional Medicine Firms Using Threatened Species.” The EIA is an organization dedicated to investigating and campaigning against environmental crimes and abuses, with a particular focus on transnational wildlife crimes related to elephants, pangolins, tigers, and forest-related offenses.
Many of the investors in these Chinese pharmaceutical firms are signatories to principles for responsible investment (PRI) or are members of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), which has publicly expressed concerns about biodiversity loss and species extinction. Seven of these nations are part of The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce, launched in 2018 to combat wildlife trafficking.
Avinash Basker, an EIA legal and policy expert, highlighted that the use of highly threatened animals in traditional medicine products contradicts CITES recommendations and poses a significant threat to these species in India and other range states.
This investigation sheds light on a pressing issue that requires immediate attention to protect these endangered species and combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
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