A zoo in China has raised eyebrows after selling “medicated tiger urine” from Siberian tigers for 50 yuan (RM30) per bottle, with each one containing about 250 grams.
A visitor who went to the zoo snapped a photo of the product and shared it on social media, showing that the zoo was selling tiger urine while claiming it could help treat rheumatic diseases and chronic inflammation.
For illustration purposes only
The “medicine” is collected from tigers’ urine disposal
According to Sinar Harian, the label on the bottle claims that tiger urine has healing properties and can help with rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, and muscle pain. It even suggests drinking it but warns people to stop if they have an allergic reaction.
One of the zoo staff told The Paper that this so-called “medicinal water” is collected straight from the tigers’ urine disposal containers. But it’s unclear if they do anything to sterilise it before selling it.
The staff also shared that the product is in demand, with up to 2 bottles sold each day.
Tiger urine has no proven health benefits
A pharmacist from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Hubei, China, said that tiger urine isn’t actually recognised as traditional medicine and has no proven health benefits.
He advised people to stick to proper medical treatments, warning that using unverified medicine could make things worse instead of better.
Another traditional Chinese medicine practitioner also called out the zoo, questioning if they even have the right to sell something as a “medicinal product,” since all drugs need approval from government regulators.
Despite that, the zoo staff insisted they have a business license to sell the tiger urine.
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Also read: M’sian Kidney Disease Patient Dies After Spending RM10k on “Ayurvedic Doctor” She Found on TikTok
