The increased penalties in Hong Kong has also made smugglers change their routes to avoid the territory and instead take advantage of China's porous land borders with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar with their 4,000 crossing points to keep the supply of tiger parts flowing.
"We have heard from hunters and traders in Sumatra that demand is coming from China," Compton said. "Demand for tiger products in China comes from the older generation of consumers who use it to treat rheumatism.
"Tiger wine is also used as a general tonic. We understand there is a black market for this tonic and that it is often made for personal use or produced on a one-to-one level rather than in factories. That is the case right across China."
Ultimately, conservationists believe, education in alternative forms of medicine and a gradual switch away from traditional remedies may provide the best hope of saving the Sumatran Tiger from extinction.
"Over time, demand for wild species will taper off as the older generation dies off," said Compton. "Maybe this is reflected in Hong Kong's relative pace of development and the growing popularity of Western-style products. We are seeing the same thing happening in other parts of Southeast Asia such as Vietnam where many more people from the younger generation are turning to Western medicine.
"People's attitudes to health are changing. From time to time you get a flashback, like during SARS when people were trying any remedy they thought might protect them against this unknown disease. But generally there is a shift in attitudes and we are watching to see where this takes us."
There is a serious question mark over whether those new attitudes can take hold in time to save the Sumatran Tiger. Susan Lieberman, Director of the World Wide Fund for Nature International Species Program warned: "With so few left there are doubts about whether the population is still viable. The Sumatran Tiger is on the brink of extinction."
In Medan Zoo, northern Sumatra, there is hope of a kind. After a long convalescence, Tele has been successfully mated with another captive tiger and recently gave birth to a male cub. The next 10 years may determine whether the breed's only chance of a future is in captivity.
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