The tiger Panthera tigris is listed in Appendix I of CITES. In 1993 China banned all trade in tiger bones, and subsequently manufacturers of medicinal plasters stopped using tiger bone and musk as ingredients in tiger-bone plaster, which was renamed musk bone-strengthening plaster. Nonetheless the image of the tiger is still commonly used on plaster packaging, although tiger bone is not listed as an ingredient. In a survey carried out among urban residents in China 38% of respondents claimed to have used tiger-bone plasters (Gratwicke et al., 2008, PLoS ONE, 3(7), e2544). However, the number of people who actually used tiger bones may be overestimated, as people may have been misled by the tiger's image printed on the package.
In a questionnaire survey carried out in Beijing in July–August 2014, we found that 44% of respondents (183 of 418) alleged they had used tiger-bone plasters. Of these, 179 indicated there was an image of a tiger on the plaster packaging. However, 167 of these users confirmed that the plasters they had used were musk and bone-strengthening or other types of plasters rather than tiger-bone plasters. Only three users alleged that the plasters they had used were tiger-bone plasters but they were unsure whether the products actually contained ingredients from tigers.
Although few respondents, if any, had used plasters containing tiger bone, people are more likely to choose plasters printed with tiger images than those without tiger images. The manufacturers are using the tiger image to take advantage of brand effect. The tiger image fosters and reinforces habitual thinking that the plasters still contain tiger bone. To protect tigers and deter consumption motivations that trigger tiger poaching and illegal trade, we recommend that the manufacturers should remove the tiger image from musk and bone-strengthening plaster and related products, following the regulations of CITES.
