Leopard-Looking Skin, Zhongdian

Photographer: Erika Bird and Robin Searle
From: Tibet to the Tropics: Yunnan

Leopard-Looking Skin, Zhongdian

No it's not really a leopardskin. Neither are the Tiger-looking skins also on sale here. Which is good for the wild big cats of Asia. But not so good for the Alsatian Dogs that are farmed and dyed for this trade....
Hopefully Tibetans will one day lose the desire to wear expensive animal furs for prestige - most big cats poached in India and the rest of Asia end up in Tibet where their skins are worn and bodyparts used for medicines.