By Philip J. Nyhus and Ron Tilson
The “petification” of captive tigers is warping our perspective on the tigers we should be caring about.
THROUGHOUT Asia, wild tiger populations and their habitats are in peril. Recent studies suggest the world’s wild tiger population may have declined by half in the past quarter of a century, and tigers today occupy only about 7% of their historical range.
At the same time, the number of tigers in captivity is growing. A fundamental question for tiger conservation is whether this is, or is not, a good trend. We argue it is not (Nyhus, Tilson, and Hutchins, in press).
As background it is helpful to recognize that there are many different ways that people keep tigers in captivity, including zoos, circuses, sanctuaries, commercial farms, and private individual owners. There are also different types of tigers in those different facilities.
Most people are familiar with zoos. Some zoos are accredited by regional zoo associations, like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in North America, and participate in scientifically-managed captive breeding programs. These zoos follow specific standards, including those governing animal health, husbandry, genetic management, conservation, and education. Many other zoos do not contribute to organized tiger breeding programs, do not follow standards for animal care, know little or nothing about where their animals come from, or may profess to support wild tiger conservation but in reality do little or nothing to contribute to meaningful conservation of wild tigers and their habitats.
Some tigers are held in circuses or otherwise used primarily for entertainment. Other tigers end up in sanctuaries, facilities intended to help abandoned, abused, and neglected animals.
Most captive tigers are not located in zoos, circuses, or sanctuaries. They are owned by private individuals, and a surprising number are located here in the United States. As with zoos, some of these individuals are responsible owners and provide adequate care for their animals; however, others provide inadequate care or abuse their animals. Some are involved with the illegal trafficking of tigers. Many other tigers are being raised on commercial farms, as in China and Thailand, where tigers are bred for profit to support the demand for tiger parts for the East Asian traditional medicine market. No one knows exactly how many tigers fall under these categories, but most estimates suggest the number is substantial, and there almost certainly are more tigers behind bars in captivity than behind trees in the forests of Asia.
There are several reasons why we are opposed to having a large number of tigers owned by private individuals or raised for profit.
First, tigers are large and dangerous animals. It is pure hubris to believe that tigers can ever be domesticated. No amount of training, caring, love, or discipline will make them safe as human companions. Dozens of owners, trainers, and visitors have been killed and hundreds more injured by captive tigers. If the world’s most experienced tiger trainers, like Roy Horn from the duo of Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas, can be seriously injured, anyone can be seriously injured. This is particularly true of small children posing with tigers for photographs or trying to touch “pet” tigers through cages. Moreover, if a tiger attacks a person, the tiger itself may be killed during an attack to save the human victim or after the attack to test for rabies.
Second, most tigers in private ownership are of unknown genetic lineage. They are “tiger soup.” It is unlikely they will ever contribute to the conservation of tigers in the wild. If captive tigers are to be reintroduced into the wild, they will come from scientifically managed populations. They certainly will not come from an apartment in the Bronx.
Third, we and a colleague argue in a forthcoming book that there are also other less tangible, yet important reasons to be concerned that are not commonly discussed. For example, the growing number of captive tigers is blurring our awareness of what tigers are and the serious threats wild tigers face. Numerous captive tigers are not only hybrid tigers, they are white tigers. Contrary to popular belief, there are no wild white tiger populations, and white tigers in captivity are all significantly inbred. Most people do not know this, and people spend considerable money to see white tigers and buy white tiger paraphernalia. The “petification” and “commoditization” of privately-owned captive tigers is warping our perspective on the tigers we should be caring about.
Furthermore, the unnecessary cost of managing the unregulated growth of tiger populations in private hands leads to battles between “responsible” and “irresponsible” owners, and wastes funds that could be better spent saving tigers in Asia.
The important question is not, “Can we raise thousands or even tens of thousands of tigers in captivity?” We know we can, and the number of tigers in captivity is growing as wild tiger populations decline. The more important question is, “Should we have thousands of tigers in captivity?” We believe the answer is no. A hybrid tiger living in a small pen in the back yard of someone’s house in Minnesota is simply not the same as a wild tiger living in the forests of Asia. It is not a wild predator that is part of a larger population evolving and carrying out significant ecological functions in its natural habitat.
The world’s wild tigers and their habitat are in trouble. The challenge of raising public concern and resources to save the last forests and wild tigers of Asia is difficult enough without having to spend time and energy convincing people that “saving” inbred white tigers in “white tiger habitat” in the urban jungle of Las Vegas is not the same as saving tigers.
Literature Cited:
Nyhus, P.J., R. Tilson, and M. Hutchins. 2008 in press. Thirteen thousand and counting: How growing captive tiger populations threaten wild tigers. In Tilson, R. and P.J. Nyhus (eds.), Tigers of the World, 2nd Edition, The Biology, Politics, and Conservation of Panthera tigris. Norwich, NY: William Andrew Publishing.
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Photo: © Eldon Libby
Not a real tiger?
