"Seizures of Medicines Using Banned Animal Parts See Steep Rise"

"LONDON - The amount of medicinal products containing illegal wildlife tissue seized by EU authorities has risen sharply in the last six years, according to monitoring group TRAFFIC and includes items from a range of animals including tigers, bears and snakes.

EU authorities made 952 seizures of illegal wildlife medicines in 2016, up from 174 in 2011, an analysis by Reuters of reports by the group showed.

A range of seized medicinal items found at a lock-up near Britain’s Heathrow airport contained ingredients including Asiatic bears’ stomach bile and tiger bone and a threatened species of South African cactus."

Matthew Larotonda reports for Reuters December 14, 2017.