Wildlife Trade

Indian tiger yawning
© WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

Realizing that the TCM and conservation communities both want to ensure the continued survival of species used in TCM, World Wildlife Fund and its wildlife trade monitoring program, TRAFFIC, facilitate dialogue between TCM specialists and conservationists, with the aim of generating mutual understanding and conservation interests. TCM's philosophical underpinning emphasizing intimate relationships among all species and the responsibility of humans to live in harmony with nature meshes seamlessly with the principles of wildlife conservation. Sharing this common ground, conservationists and the TCM community have become partners in saving wild endangered species.

The goal of WWF's TCM program has been to reduce demand for traditional medicines made from endangered species by understanding market trends, applicable laws and policies, working with TCM communities and providing culturally appropriate public education. To this end, we have joined forces with the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of San Francisco, one of the premier TCM schools in the United States. The college now makes education about endangered species and alternatives part of its curriculum.

WWF has also focused on children's education in Chinese-American communities to teach children about the plight of endangered species through art contests, coloring books and poster giveaways. In 2003 WWF and the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine launched the first Chinese language children's book on saving wild tigers and the importance of conservation, called Tao Tao and Le Le.