VIENTIANE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lao government will phase out tiger farms, Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times reported Wednesday.
According to the report, a Lao official confirmed there are indeed some tiger farms in the country following recent international media reports about the controversial practice.
"Tigers are being bred by people on their own land," the official said.
A Lao delegation is currently attending a 12-day meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in South Africa. Laos has been a party to the convention since 2004.
Lao government official has made a statement at the opening ceremony of CITES promising the country would phase out the tiger farms.
However, the official source told Vientiane Times that it could not confirm a timeframe for the phasing out of the activity, saying it would take some time.
Many people are concerned about wild tiger numbers in forest areas around the country with only Huaphan province in the north reporting numerous sightings. However, Lao government and international agencies are helping each other to protect the remaining tiger population, said the report.
The tiger's main food sources have been protected for many years, such as the endemic barking deer or muntjac and wild pigs in an effort to preserve the large cat's population in Laos.
Lao officials are also conducting tiger conservation education and outreach activities in villages around the protected area to help raise public awareness about protecting Lao wildlife.
The 183 member countries of CITES have pledged to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
