USA Plays Major Role in Illegal Tiger Trade

Americans were surprised to find out that the US has more tigers in captivity than there are in remaining in the wild.  The country has an estimated 5,000 captive tigers, while only 3900 are estimated to survive in the wild.  A recent study has also revealed another exceptional fact about the USA; the country accounts for half the world's illegal tiger trade in the period 2003 to 2012 based on an analysis of seizure records kept by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.  The study was published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice. {photo credit: WWF]

An ineffective patch-work of state and federal laws is not enough to protect the world's tiger population.  Conservationists are calling for the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act that would improve conditions for captive tigers in the US and improve our nation's credibility on tiger conservation issues. According to the data compiled by researchers, there were 292 seizures in the period 2003-2012, significantly higher than previously reported and about half of the 624 seizures reported worldwide,  Tigers account for roughly an alarming two-thirds of confiscated produccts.  The US may be penalized by the fact that it is one of the few countries that has a robust reporting system of wildlife seizures and public access to records.

The worldwide demand for tiger parts as traditional medicines is unabated.  In the US tiger products may be seized by customs and law enforcement personnel without proof of criminal activity under a 1998 law governing labeling of tiger and rhino produccts.  Educational campaigns have also reduced the volume of illegal trade in tiger parts, but it still occurs.  The main threat to tiger survival comes from Asia and its thriving underground trade.