Captive Tigers: An Unsustainable Population in the US - Research Paper

Introduction

Captive tigers underscore a significant problem in the United States. The number of the captive tiger in the US is estimated to be 5000, and those remaining in the wild are approximately 3900 (Leigh, 2020). Most of the captive tigers are privately owned and live in private breeding facilities, people's backyards, and roadside attractions. That leaves only 6% of the captive tiger population to live in the zoos and other accredited facilities by the zoos and aquariums (Leigh, 2020). Most of these animals are, however, vulnerable to exploitation and mishandling, owing to the inefficient training by private tiger owners in matters regarding caring for the wild animals. That is viewed in the spheres where they allow public contact with the wild animals, coupled with taking their photos and playing with the tiger cubs. The inefficient training of private tiger owners, therefore, is the primary contributor in making the welfare of such tigers compromised besides putting the health and safety of the public at risk during such moments.

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Troubles of Captive Tiger in the US Far From Conservation

However, it is hard to tell the number of captive tigers in the US as they are regulated by local laws, state, and federal patchwork. Government agencies never monitor these tigers, and worse. Still, the government agencies do not keep track of whoever owns the tiger, here they are traded or sold and whatever happens to their valuable parts in the events of their deaths. The US's centralized oversight is tasked with ensuring that the captive tigers do not feed the illegal trade that has since threatened the tiger, coupled with ensuring that adequate welfare safety for the public safety and the individual animals.

When tiger are bred in captivity, it does not mean that they are conserved; however, lucrative and popular tiger cubs may appear when encountered in tiger facilities. The problem comes in when there is a need for strong incentives in breeding the captive tigers, coupled with the maintenance of a continuous supply of cubs for entertainment. The inbreeding of the captive tiger may also result in congenital disabilities besides health issues, thereby making it cumbersome to introduce them to the wild. Reintroducing them may require efforts of like translocation of individual tigers from the population of the exiting wild tigers in the quest to create new breeding populations that are viable (Leigh, 2020). Adequate protection for the tiger would thereby lead to their increase in number across their natural range, albeit the efforts of conservation should be focused on recovering the populations of these wild animals.

The US Stricter Regulations Against on Captive Tigers

Over the last decade, the US has put stricter rules on captive tigers, albeit there is more that needs to be done. The efforts in curbing the dangers of captive tigers were prevalent in April 2016 when the government is tightening the regulations with regards to captive tigers under the Endangered Species Act, thus rendering it difficult for those animals to succumb to the vulnerability of illegal wildlife trade (Leigh, 2020). That move by the government saw over 450, 000 supporters of World wildlife calling upon the government of the US to implement the new federal rules in ensuring that the sale of tigers across the states would not be possible. An exception would only be in situations when the seller attains a permit and upon demonstration that the transaction would be aimed at the conservation of the sold tiger.

Additionally, the Animal welfare Act underscores a rule that is aimed at limiting public contracts with the tigers' cubs within the age of 8-12 weeks. That small window would thereby limit the profitability of those cubs from photo ops, coupled with cub petting, and consequently, reduce continues breeding incentive. Congress is also mandated to act in ensuring security for the captive tiger in the US through the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act that would need the federal permit for all the big cats together with the prohibition of public contact with the cubs (Leigh, 2020). That would consequently reduce the risk of part of the tiger from entering the illegal wildlife trade, coupled with the removal of the most influential breeding incentives together with improving the safety of the public and welfare of the animals.

Tiger Farms/Captive Breeding as a Feed to Illegal Wildlife Trade

In the recent years, there has been a rapid escalation in the number of tigers in tiger farms with approximately 7,000-8,000 tigers depicted to be held in a vast amount of facilities in East and South East Asia, prevalently Thailand, China and Vietnam (Leigh, 2020). That number of captive populations exceeds the global estimated tigers in the wild that are 3,900 (Leigh, 2020). The world wildlife underlies that the breeding scale that is currently operational in the tiger farms acts as an obstacle to the recovery of the population of the wild tiger, coupled with protection. That is since they are responsible for complicating and undermining efforts enforced and in aiding the perpetuation of tiger parts and product demands.

The world wildlife is thereby calling upon the government's commitment to curbing tiger farms and institutions of vivid ban sin the spheres of trade of tigers, their part, and products from the vast sources. While the captive tiger situation in the US may differ from that of Asia, there is a need for the US wildlife leaders to be consistent in the conservation of captive tigers as well as cleaning up their backyard. That would ensure that tigers are not contributors to illegal trade and ensuring that the United States is not continuous in effecting and influencing their voice in the conservation of tigers.

Conclusion

Captive tigers have been a primary problem in the US since the number of captive tigers surpasses the wild tigers, and the majority of captive tiger ate privately owned. The privately-owned tigers are vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment owing to insufficient knowledge in their care by their owners. Unfortunately, the government does not keep track of the captive tigers regarding their owners, sale, and deaths. Hence most captive tigers are never conserved, thereby leading to congenital disabilities and health issues, thus rendering them unsuitable to be introduced to the wild unless reintroduction efforts are applied like translocation. The US, therefore, is mandated to put harsh measures in the quest of curbing the exploitation and mistreatment of captive tigers together with ensuring public safety from the animals and proper consideration to animal welfare.

Reference

Leigh, H. (2020, March).5 Things Tiger King Doesn't Explain About Captive Tigers. WorldWildlife. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/5-things-tiger-kingdoesn't-explain-about-captive-tigers