Who would expect viagra to be the next great savior of animals?
The success of the anti-impotence drug Viagra has drastically reduced the demand for wild animal body parts used in traditional cures for impotence, a new analysis shows.
Researchers in Canada and Australia have shown that since the drug was introduced in 1998, worldwide trade in parts of some species has fallen by more than 70 per cent.
The reason for Viagra's popularity is clear, says Frank von Hippel of the University of Alaska: "Viagra is cheaper than many animal products and its action is pronounced, immediate and effective."
Von Hippel and his brother William at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, analysed data on three legally traded species used in traditional medicines: Alaskan reindeer, which are hunted for antler velvet, hooded seals and harp seals, which are both hunted for their genitalia.
Antler sales fell by 72 per cent from $700,000 in 1997 to $200,000 in 1998. The number of seal penises being traded fell from around 40,000 in 1996 to 20,000 in 1998. The decline in the trade of harp seal penises has also been documented by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who reported the price per organ had dropped from $100 to $15 by 1999.
The success of the anti-impotence drug Viagra has drastically reduced the demand for wild animal body parts used in traditional cures for impotence, a new analysis shows.
Researchers in Canada and Australia have shown that since the drug was introduced in 1998, worldwide trade in parts of some species has fallen by more than 70 per cent.
The reason for Viagra's popularity is clear, says Frank von Hippel of the University of Alaska: "Viagra is cheaper than many animal products and its action is pronounced, immediate and effective."
Von Hippel and his brother William at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, analysed data on three legally traded species used in traditional medicines: Alaskan reindeer, which are hunted for antler velvet, hooded seals and harp seals, which are both hunted for their genitalia.
Antler sales fell by 72 per cent from $700,000 in 1997 to $200,000 in 1998. The number of seal penises being traded fell from around 40,000 in 1996 to 20,000 in 1998. The decline in the trade of harp seal penises has also been documented by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who reported the price per organ had dropped from $100 to $15 by 1999.
