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A zoo in Vietnam has admitted it auctioned
dead tigers to animal trafficking gangs.
The revelation by Hanoi Zoo came after
police raided a gang in the city, uncovering two live tigers, four
dead ones and seven live bears.
The zoo said the tigers died of natural
causes and were sold for about 125m dong ($7,800; £4,000) to
raise money to buy more animals.
Under international law the animals should
have been cremated.
Dang Gia Tung, the zoo's deputy director,
told the Associated Press that the carcass of a one-year-old tiger
was sold in November.
"We thought we should auction the tigers'
bodies to raise funds to enrich the collection of animals at the
zoo," he said.
His admission came after police arrested
two men when they discovered two tigers in the back seat of a car
in Hanoi.
The tigers had been drugged, but woke up
during the police operation and had to be sedated again before they
could be removed to an animal sanctuary.
Officers found four more tigers cut up in
a freezer, as well as various bear, rhinoceros and elephant
parts.
Observers say it is the latest indication
of the extent of the illegal trade in endangered species in
Vietnam.
Tigers are used in traditional medicine
and can fetch thousands of dollars on the black market.
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