The WWF charity have found big gaps in the United States law for tigers held in captivity after the first-ever comprehensive report on captive big cat regulations. The report found there is no reliable system to keep track of captive tigers in the U.S leaving them vulnerable to illegal trade.
There are currently more tigers in captivity in the States than exist in the wild, whilst the U.S. government has no way to be sure how many tigers there are in captivity within its borders and where they are. In many U.S. states there are even no controls on individuals keeping tigers as pets.
There are only 4,000 tigers remaining in the wild, with the population fast declining worldwide through poaching for the illegal trade of their bones, skins, and some traditional forms of Asian medicine. C.I.T.E.S. (Convention International Trade in Endangered Species) has urged their 173 government members to ensure that their controls to stop the illegal trade in captive tigers are upheld. The U.S.A’s lack of comprehensive management for captive tigers does not comply with the CITES resolution which was agreed upon 8 years ago.
Director of the ‘Save the Tiger Fund’, Mahendra Shrestha said –
‘The U.S. federal and state governments have an opportunity to address this vulnerability now to prevent potential abuse and demonstrate their strong conservation leadership. We must take all steps necessary to protect tigers to ensure their survival into the future.’
The WWF are recommending that the United States government enforce regulations so that all persons holding licenses for breeding report annually on the number of tigers held, the number of births, mortality rates, and the transfer or sale of all tigers under their jurisdiction.
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