THIS WEEKS ANIMAL IS THE TIGER
Tigers are indisputably one of the most majestic species on Earth. They are also among the most endangered species, vanishing rapidly from the wild. Recent censuses reflect that there are 5,000 tigers remaining in the wild worldwide.
Due to poaching and habitat destruction, three of the eight original subspecies of tigers have become extinct within the last 60 years. Other subspecies of tigers have dwindled to so few members that they have lost genetic diversity and have low reproduction rates. There is little chance for recovery of these subspecies.
The key to the survival of wild tigers is habitat protection; strict enforcement of laws to prevent poaching of wild tigers, and eliminating the demand and market for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine.
Sadly, there are so few wild tigers that the species may plummet in to extinction during this century.
Tigers in the United States
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The American Zoo and Aquarium Association estimates that there are 15,000 captive tigers in private sector possession in the United States. Ironically, these tigers (numbering three times more than the number of tigers in the wild) may also be facing death.
Most tigers in the United States are held captive by "backyard breeders" or by individuals who purchase tiger cubs on impulse intending to keep them as 'pets'.
All too often, tigers are bred in captive situations under the guise of "conservation", though none of these captive tigers will ever be released in the wild, and breeding tigers does nothing to protect -- nor preserve -- the habitat of wild tigers.
Backyard breeders often confine tigers to small battery cages, depriving these captive tigers of their natural inclination to roam vast territories as they would in the wild. Even if wild tiger habitats were not in dire jeopardy, tigers bred by non-professionals and "hobbyist" have no value to the conservation of wild species due to the fact that they are often inbred and/or genetically inappropriate and would thus increase the risk of loss of wild populations. Click here to read 'The Captive Breeding Myth'
Tiger breeders focus on commercial gain and have little to no regard for "genetic purity" of the species and legitimate conservation efforts. For example, White tigers are a big commodity for breeders. As opposed to Bengal tigers which currently sell for as low as $350.00, White tigers fetch between $25,000.00 to $100,000.00 apiece. White tigers are an anomaly - an aberrant color variation of Bengal tigers which results from inbreeding tigers with recessive genes, producing the hallmark white fur and blue eyes of White tigers. Like all animals with albinism, White tigers have congenital defects such as cataracts, club feet, and hip dysplasia which is often so severe that White tigers are crippled.
Another example of breeding for profit is "Ligers" and "Tigons". A Liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tigress. A Tigon is a cross between a lioness and a male tiger. These purpose-bred "conversation-pieces" do not exist in the wild and as unnatural hybrids, they are sterile - they can not reproduce. Ligers and Tigons are bred for no other reason besides commercial gain. Like White tigers, Ligers and Tigons are often used in "entertainment" venues because they are "novelties".
Backyard breeders typically pull tiger cubs away from their mothers before they are one week old. The claws of tiger cubs are usually surgically removed by the time they are two weeks old. The young cubs who should still be nursing are sold as 'pets' to individuals with little or no knowledge of their needs, or they are hauled around the country by traveling zoos, or used in pay-per photo-ops for a fee.
'Pet' tigers are often kept in pathetically small makeshift cages in backyards, garages, or basements. Narcotics officers have even discovered tigers chained and being used as "guards" for crack houses and other illegal drug operations.
Tiger cubs are adorable, and few individuals who acquire them anticipate the inevitable outcome when the cubs mature in to a full-grown tigers. Though tiger cubs can be purchased for as little as $300.00, a full-grown tiger typically costs thousands of dollars to feed every month. This does not include the costs associated with veterinary care, nor the cost of building suitable, enriched enclosures.
Most individuals who acquire tigers as 'pets' seek attention or notoriety. However, when tiger cubs mature, they become too expensive or too large to manage, therefore, they often end up as "cast-offs".
Tigers are relatively easy to purchase. At least two 'exotic pet' trade magazines and 28 web sites offer tigers for sale. Once an individual with a 'pet' tiger grows tired of their 'pet' (when the novelty wears off), or when the formerly "cute" tiger cub becomes unmanageable or too expensive to feed/house, there are few options for placing them in appropriate settings.
Often, these discarded 'ex-pet tigers' are neglected. Sometimes, they are let loose in an environment which is unsuitable for them. Discarded 'pet' tigers may be sent to other 'pet' keepers; to sub-standard roadside zoos, or to tiger breeders who supply the 'pet' trade. In some cases, former 'pet' tigers are shot on "canned hunting" ranches. In general, tigers (both wild and captive) are worth more dead than alive. Despite it being illegal, many are killed and their skin, bones, flesh, and other organs are sold on the black market.
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November 2001, following a lengthy undercover investigation called "Operation Snow Plow", a group of five individuals were indicted by the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife Service for illegally killing tigers and other species of large cats to supply the animal-parts trade. To avoid damaging the skins, tigers are killed in unimaginable ways, such as by suffocation, drowning, or electrocution.
There are many reasons to object to tigers being in private sector possession in the United States. Among these reasons is public safety.
Tigers, even when declawed, are extremely and inherently dangerous. Since 1990, at least six adults and two children have been killed by tigers in the United States. More than 80 others have been seriously injured in tiger maulings. Regardless of the situation, with close proximity to tigers, there is always the potential of death or serious injury. Tigers are wild animals, natural predators with hard-wired instincts. Tigers' instincts are automatic, non-restrictive and unlearned motivators of their behavior which can not be trained nor tamed out of tigers.
Tigers can not be humanely maintained by individuals who lack the resources and/or the knowledge to care for these strong and complex species. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all oppose private possession of tigers and other exotic/wild animals.
Since 2001, at least 250 big cats, many of these being tigers, have been discarded by private owners in the United States. Zoos are not interested in taking "unpure" species and the reputable and experienced sanctuaries equipped to handle tigers are full to the brim. Click here for more information about sanctuaries for big cats
Experts in the field of animal rescue and sheltering predict that in this decade, the trend will be mass killing of healthy captive and unwanted tigers in the United States.
bravenet.com