Shocking report find there are more of tigers living captive US backyards than in the wild 

In some US states, it’s easier to buy a tiger than it is to adopt a dog.

A new estimate has shown that there are more captive tigers in the US than their are wild ones worldwide.

Nearly 7,000 of the big cats are estimated to live in the country, but only 6 percent of them live in zoos or facilities approved by the US Association of Zoos and Aquariums. 

Nearly 7,000 tigers are estimated to live in the US, but only 6 percent of them live in zoos or facilities approved by the US Association of Zoos and Aquariums

‘Many captive big cats are kept in inhumane conditions, pose a threat to the community, create a burden for law enforcement agencies and sanctuaries, and compromise conservation efforts,’ said Debbie Leahy, the manager for captive wildlife protection at the Humane Society of the United States, to the Guardian.

The report found there are as few as 3,890 tigers living in the wild.

In the US, the ‘pet’ cats are kept in backyards, private breeding facilities and even city apartments.

‘Since 1990, there have been hundreds of dangerous incidents involving big cats in the US. Four children lost their lives and dozens of others lost limbs or suffered other often traumatic injuries. Nineteen adults have been killed and scores have been mauled,’ Leahy said.

In October 2011, an exotic pet owner let loose his home zoo into the local community in Zanesville, Ohio. 

First responders were forced to shoot more than 10 captive tigers and other animals.

Keeping tigers as pets also does damage to conservation efforts for wild tigers, the report found.

The report found there are as few as 3,890 tigers living in the wild. In the US, the 'pet' cats are kept in backyards, private breeding facilities and even city apartments

The report found there are as few as 3,890 tigers living in the wild. In the US, the ‘pet’ cats are kept in backyards, private breeding facilities and even city apartments

‘A patchwork of regulations governs these tigers, meaning no agency can say how many there are, when they are born, when they die and what happens to their valuable parts when they do,’ said Leigh Henry, a species policy expert at the World Wildlife Fund. 

‘Illegal trade in tiger parts remains the primary threat to tigers in the wild, and the last thing we want is parts from captive tigers helping sustain or even fuel this black market,’ Henry said.

Six states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Nevada, Alabama and West Virginia) have no restrictions on owning the big cats.

Fourteen states require a permit, and 30 states outright prohibit owning a tiger.

A loophole comes in that many exotic pets are not covered by the 1973 Endangered Species Act, which is only applicable to animals taken from the wild. Many tigers in the country come from captive breeders or are smuggled in.

WHAT IS THE GLOBAL COALITION TO END WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING ONLINE?

The world’s most endangered species are under threat from an unexpected source, the Internet, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Advances in technology and connectivity across the world, combined with rising buying power and demand for illegal wildlife products, have increased the ease of exchange from poacher to consumer.

As a result, an unregulated online market allows criminals to sell illegally obtained wildlife products across the globe.

Purchasing elephant ivory, tiger cubs, and pangolin scales is as easy as click, pay, ship, they say.

To counter this, the world’s biggest e-commerce, technology, and social media companies have joined forces to shut down online marketplaces for wildlife traffickers. 

The Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online brings together companies from across the world in partnership with wildlife experts at WWF and Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, as well as the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

This industry-wide approach aims to reduce wildlife trafficking online by 80 per cent by 2020. 

WWF and partners are collaborating with tech companies across continents, including eBay, Google, Microsoft and Tencent, to unite the industry and maximise impact for reducing wildlife trafficking online. 

‘The vast majority of tigers in the US come from the irresponsible captive breeding to supply the cub petting industry,’ said Ben Callison, a former animal sanctuary director and animal welfare activist, to BBC.

‘Tigers are smuggled in, but this is mostly a US-born issue.’

The state of Texas alone has an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 pet tigers.

‘Texas is a conservative state and values personal liberties and the right to keep what you want,’ said Pamela Boich of the Texas Human Legislation Network, an animal welfare lobbying group.

‘There’s sense to that, but if it’s at the price of animal welfare, that is wrong. You can buy a tiger online, it’s just crazy.’ 



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