New Delhi, April 28 – The prices of tiger and leopard skins have come down in Lhasa’s central market following widespread public protest in Tibet according to a source there. A tiger skin, which would sell for US $18,000 a year ago, is now about US $.10,000. Leopard skins that would sell for US $ 6000 have come down to US $2496.
Another burning of animal pelts was reported recently from the Lithang County of the Sichuan province. About US $ 60000-70000 worth of animal pelts were burnt. This time, they took permission from the authorities for the burning. The organizers had also asked people to refrain from sensitive slogans for avoiding needless attention. About 1500 hundred people participated in the act.
According to the source, people gathered near the Lithang monastry in Dekyi village with their ‘chubas’ (Garments made of animal skins) before putting them into fire. The organizer informed the gathering about His Holiness’s message against the use of ‘chubas’ by some Tibetans, which is contrary to the teaching of ‘Mahakaruna’ in Buddhism.
The mood here is to surrender these garments and to renounce them from their cultural domain which they have been using mainly during the Gyantse and Shoton festival in August and September. They have also been using them in several other traditional gatherings.
With the demand and the price of chubas in Tibet appear to fall, chances of survival of the existing wildlife in India and elsewhere might have improved. Conservationists in India feel that these are very positive developments.
