Their skins are turned into trophies, campaigners will tell ministers at Westminster next week. At least 11 tigers suffered the agonising death in just one farm last year, according to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s TigerTime campaign.

China banned the trade in tiger bone wine in 1993 – but many farmers think this does not apply to animals that die naturally.

Shepherd, the famous wildlife artist, said: “It’s believed farm owners starve tigers to death to enable them to claim they died from ‘natural causes’, getting round the few restrictions that are supposed to curb their activities. It is cruel and wicked.”

TigerTime supporters will meet Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne next Wednesday to urge him to press China to ban all trade in tiger parts. And it wants people to sign its petition at www.bantigertrade.com.