According to a new report, global seizures of tigers and tiger parts have recorded an average of 150 of big cats per year over the past 23 years, underscoring the pressure faced by an animal that is highly endangered in the wild despite ongoing conservation efforts.
In total, entire tigers, dead and alive, as well as a large number of tiger parts, corresponding to a conservative estimate of 3,377 big cats, were seized between January 2000 and June 2022, the wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC said in a report published on Wednesday.
The seizures took place in 50 countries and areas, but the vast majority took place in the 13 countries where tigers can still be found in the wild.
India, where half of the world’s remaining wild tigers live, reported most incidents and most of the tigers seized. China (212-10 percent of the total) and Indonesia (207-9 percent of the total) were next.
TRAFFIC warned that given the nature of the illegal trade, even though the figures showed the extent of human trafficking, they would probably not reflect the true extent of crime.
“The evidence clearly shows that poaching and illegal trade do not pose temporary threats. Unless we want wild tigers to be wiped out of our lives, immediate and time-bound action must be a priority,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, co-author of the report and director of TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia.
Seizures in the first half of 2022, the year of the tiger on the lunar calendar, suggested that poachers were involved in the “relentless pursuit” of the world’s remaining wild tigers, TRAFFIC said.
There was a “significant” increase in seized animals in Indonesia, Thailand and Russia.
Indonesia, home of the endangered Sumatran tiger, seized more equivalent tigers (18) in the first half of 2022 than the total seizures of 2021 (16).
“Poaching and illegal trade remain a dangerous threat to the survival of wild tigers,” the report says. “Decades of efforts, investments and pledges have not reduced pressure on wild tiger populations.”
The wild tiger population was thought to be at least 100,000 in 1900, but hunting, poaching and destruction of tiger forests meant that animals were restricted to only a few countries in South and Southeast Asia and in the Far East of Russia.
Experts say tiger poachers are getting involved in an illegal trade that is fueled by demand from people who believe that consuming certain tiger parts will cure countless diseases or improve their strength and masculinity, primarily in China and other parts of Asia.
According to TRAFFIC’s latest report, at least 675 Facebook profiles were identified in six Southeast Asian countries that were involved in the illegal trade, and that three quarters were from Vietnam. Links were also found between accounts involved in the illegal sale of tigers and tiger parts and accounts that offer products made from ivory, bear parts, and rhino horns.
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report also found that more tigers have been seized in recent years, which were either confirmed or suspected of coming from captive sources such as zoos or breeding farms. More than half of the seizures in Thailand and Vietnam involved suspected tigers bred in captivity, a reference to the “significant problem” that has arisen in the fight against the tiger trade.
Given the persistence of illegal trade, the Conservation Group urged countries to make law enforcement more effective by using intelligence investigations to dismantle criminal networks across the chain and ensure “strong and predictable” prosecution, To deter human traffickers, who stand to earn considerable sums of money from trafficking.
“Constantly increasing penalties may not be as effective as hoped; instead, increasing the likelihood of human traffickers being caught and convicted may more effectively influence the cost-benefit assessment of potential criminals,” the report said.
Other recommendations include closing markets — including online markets — that deal with the illegal trade in tigers and their parts, tighter control of tiger farms, and more targeted measures to reduce demand.