An international treaty prohibits the buying and selling of products made from any of the big cat species, save one: the African lion. If the animals have been bred in captivity in South Africa, then their skeletons, including claws and teeth, may be traded around the world. Lion parts legally exported from South Africa usually wind up in Asia, where they are often marketed as tiger parts. In 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service banned imports of captive-bred lion trophies. For many lion breeders in South Africa, skeleton exports were an obvious way to make up for lost business.

Source: International New York Times July 15, 2019 15:11 UTC