Tiger meat, bear paws reportedly served at restaurants in Laos
Bangkok (dpa) - Restaurants in a Chinese-run city in north-western Laos are openly serving wild and exotic animal meats, including endangered tigers and bears, according to a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency.
Dishes like sauteed tiger meat, tiger-bone wine and bear paws are being served in the city's restaurants.
Other exotic animals, such as rhinoceros, pangolin and helmeted hornbill, are also available.
The duty-free Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GT SEZ) in Bokeo province is run by a Hong Kong-based company on a 99-year lease.
The city is filled with Chinese businesses and developments, including casinos, restaurants and hotels.
Many Chinese believe that tiger and bear meats and body parts are aphrodisiacs.
The Golden Triangle, located on the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, is known for human and wildlife trafficking and the laundering of money from the narcotics trade.
