An alarming rise in tiger poaching across India and other tiger range countries has been linked to surging demand from China, according to investigators and conservation groups. A recent investigation has revealed that China continues to be the primary market for trafficked tiger parts, despite years of international efforts to curb the trade.

Evidence collected from recent arrests, financial records, and intercepted communications has revealed a well-organized trafficking network that smuggles tiger parts from India to China. Investigators have found that poached tigers are often transported through India’s northeastern states, Nepal, and Myanmar before making their way to Chinese markets. Poachers and middlemen have established multiple routes — including air, land, and water — to feed the demand, primarily for use in traditional Chinese medicine, decorative materials, and exotic wine production.

In the past three years alone, India has lost at least 100 tigers, with many believed to have been trafficked to China. A poacher named Pujari Singh admitted to investigators that a syndicate was responsible for smuggling tiger parts into China. Further investigation into the financial operations of the network uncovered hawala-style transactions, prompting the involvement of India’s Enforcement Directorate. Payments totaling INR 75-80 million have been traced, though financial links to the Nepal-Tibet corridor are still being investigated.

Officials also suspect that Vietnam is emerging as a new market for tigers poached from India. However, authorities continue to focus on China as the principal destination. “Our investigation has traced the network up to Myanmar, but as always, the final destination is likely China,” said Ritesh Sarothiya, head of Madhya Pradesh’s Special Task Force.

The growing demand from China is also affecting other tiger-range countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The critically endangered Sumatran tiger is under increasing threat in Indonesia, while poaching gangs in Malaysia are reportedly decimating local tiger populations to meet the demand in China and Vietnam. “These gangs are emptying forests of these magnificent cats,” said John Goodrich, Chief Scientist at Panthera.

Conservation groups have criticized the Chinese government’s silence on the matter. The Environmental Investigation Agency stated, “The silence from the highest levels of government in China is deafening. The demand for wild tigers continues to drive illegal hunting in neighboring countries.”

Despite decades of conservation efforts, international pledges, and large-scale investments, the pressure on wild tiger populations has not subsided. With rising demand and insufficient enforcement, experts warn that the survival of tigers in the wild hangs in the balance.