Tigers – in danger of extinction

Tigers, found in 13 Asian countries, are threatened with extinction largely due to consumer
demand for their skins, bones, and other body parts, and the trafficking of live animals. In the
last century alone, 97 percent of wild tiger populations have disappeared and fewer than 4,000
tigers remain in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List
of Threatened Species™ lists the tiger as Endangered, with Malayan and Sumatran tigers
classified as Critically Endangered.
“These majestic animals are thought to occupy less than seven percent of their original range
and are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, poaching, and conflict with people. Wildlife
trafficking continues to haunt this species, making tigers one of the most threatened victims of
illegal wildlife trade,” said Sara Walker, senior advisor on wildlife trafficking at the Wildlife
Trafficking Alliance (WTA), a program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
“Tigers are among the most beloved and iconic of the big cats. Therefore, it’s shocking when
people learn that three subspecies of tiger are already extinct and that three subspecies—Amur,
Sumatran, and Malayan tigers—each have fewer than 500 individuals in the wild.”
Tigers are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) as an Appendix-I species, meaning international trade of live animals
or their parts is prohibited. CITES looks to ensure that the international trade in wildlife does not
threaten its survival. In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
implements CITES. Tigers are also listed under the Endangered Species Act, adding another
layer of protection.
In the U.S.— despite the protections that exist—private ownership of tigers, lions, and other big
cats as vanity pets or for commercial exploitation in poorly run facilities is a serious animal
welfare problem. Unscientific and unethical breeding leads to an untraceable population of big
cats that presents animal welfare and conservation issues as well as a danger to the public and
first responders. Netflix’s high-profile Tiger King series entertained and horrified, but only
provided a glimpse into a much larger problem.