The mighty Bengal Tiger, most powerful of the large cats and heralded as the world’s most popular animal. And according to some, the might and power of this favorite beast can be yours if you drink a Chinese rice wine that has had the animal’s carcass steeped in it.

Though the thought of imbibing such a draught might be distasteful to some pallets, the fact that it is being produced at all is enough to enrage the WWF (an Asian conservation group, not the Wrestling conglomerate).

Nevertheless, at the International Tiger Symposium held recently in Nepal, Chinese delegates are saying it’s time to lift the international ban on dealing in tiger pelts and bones. Representatives from Bangladesh and Nepal believe that the ban should stay in place. Proponents of keeping the ban in place have numerous arguments against such a move; the WWF argues that there are thousands of animals being bred at Chinese tiger farms, and that they would be subject to much poaching, being unable to fend for themselves in the wild.

Formal Chinese government delegates will be conducting a discussion today to decide whether the ban shall be lifted. No word on whether there will be bottles of the tiger wine available to sample at the proceedings.

China criticised for ‘tiger wine’ [news.bbc.co.uk]