How do you keep track of 8,900 captive tigers in Asia?
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How do you keep track of 8,900 captive tigers in Asia?

How do we keep track of over 8,900 captive tigers in Asia—and why does it matter? Many of these tigers live in facilities that illegally sell them into the tiger trade, fuelling demand and putting wild populations at risk. To stop this, governments need national databases with identifiable details for every captive tiger. This makes it harder for facilities to “lose” tigers into the illegal trade. At the recent CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Conference of Parties, countries agreed to stronger reporting on all Asian big cats to track current trade trends, and identify what’s working and where more effort is needed. With improved data, tiger range governments can make better decisions and take stronger actions to end illegal trade. Tracking captive tigers is one of the keys to breaking the cycle of exploitation 🐅