IFAW: Year of the Tiger begins but species still at risk

While Chinese New Year on Sunday (14) marks the start of Year of the Tiger, the illegal trade in tiger parts and products continues to threaten this already endangered species.

While communities around the world celebrate this auspicious year in the lunar calendar, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) warns that unless stopped, the trade could well push the tiger to extinction.

Grace Gabriel, IFAW’s Asia Regional Director, said: “Wild tigers once numbered around 100,000 across Asia, today there are fewer than 3,500. Tigers face threats from loss of habitat and prey. But the greatest threat to wild tigers is poaching to supply an illegal trade driven by the demand for tiger parts and products.”

With a listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) all international commercial trade in tigers and their parts is banned. As a range and a consumer state, China also has a domestic ban on the use of tiger bone.

“These bans are ‘toothless tigers’ in the face of a growing illegal market for tiger parts fuelled by a few large-scale tiger farms that speed-breed tigers for commercial trade of their parts,” said Gabriel.

A total of 175 countries will have the opportunity to vote for improved protection of wild tigers at the upcoming CITES meeting in March, by supporting an EU proposal calling for strengthened control of the tiger trade and stopping the farming of tigers for the trade of their parts and products. Visit www.ifaw.org for further information.

Recent investigations in China have found an increase in the illegal sale of products claiming to contain tiger parts from these farms, both online and in stores. While there are fewer than 50 wild tigers left in China, tiger farms collectively have over 6,000 tigers and boast an annual reproduction rate of 800. Operated also as safari parks for tourists, these tiger farms openly sell products such as ‘tiger bone wine’ as health tonics.

“Any reduction of demand for tiger parts in China thanks to the government’s trade ban is undermined by this illegal trade,” warned Gabriel. “These tiger farming businessmen are cultivating a new demand for dead tigers, fuelling the illegal trade in wildlife and stimulating the poaching of wild tigers.”

To make the Year of the Tiger an auspicious year for the tiger, IFAW urges all governments and especially consumer countries to reduce demand and prevent any trade in dead tigers from any source, and focus on protecting live tigers in the wild.

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For more information contact Clare Sterling at IFAW on 020 7587 6708, mobile 07917 507717 or email csterling@ifaw.org

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) saves animals in crisis around the world. With representation in 15 countries, IFAW and its 1.2 million supporters work tirelessly to prevent animal suffering.