5 frozen tigers without organs discovered in man’s freezer

A Vietnamese has been caught possessing five frozen tigers with their organs being removed.

The Tiger's organs and bones are essentially used for medicinal purposes in the communist country, but several local marketers drives the illegal sale of animal parts including ivory and rhino horn.

Vietnam is also a key transit route for wildlife parts destined for elsewhere in Asia, including neighbouring China. The five tigers were discovered in the central province of Nghe An on Monday, according to a report from the official provincial newspaper.

Tiger bones are boiled down and put into rice wine to help treat ailments (Picture: AFP)

The tigers had had their internal organs removed (Picture: AFP)

These tigers were Indochinese, according to Vietnam News Agency, but officials said police would investigate further. Tiger bones are commonly boiled down and mixed with rice wine in Vietnam, a mixture believed to treat arthritis and promote strength.

Vietnam is one of the world’s worst countries for trade in endangered species, an accusation which it denies.

Prince William delivered an urgent plea in Vietnam in November to end wildlife trafficking to save critically endangered species.