Breeding Tigers for Commercial Trade in Body Parts: World Bank Says No Way, Calls for Ban on Tiger Farming
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Tiger farming in China - breeding tigers for slaughter to sell body parts - denounced by World Bank.
The World Bank has debunked the notion that tiger farming could benefit conservation of the species and stated that tiger farming “could even drive wild tigers closer to extinction.”
Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of the species program at WWF, welcomes the World Bank’s support: “Stopping all trade in tiger parts, and phasing out these tiger farms, is of the utmost urgency if the tiger is to survive in the wild.”
World Bank Director, Keshav Varma added: “Commercial trading in tiger parts and its derivatives is not in the interest of wild tiger conservation.”
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Despite ban, tiger farms “flourishing” in China
The largest market for tiger parts is China. And despite banning tiger trade, “China has simultaneously allowed tiger breeding farms to start up and flourish. ” Supporters of tiger farming have been pressuring the Chinese government to lift the ban, under the claim that farmed tigers would “reduce poaching.” A closer examination of the economics surrounding poaching vs. tiger farming proves otherwise.
In addition to raising the tigers to be slaughtered, the tiger farmers sell live prey (cows, etc.) to visitors who wish to watch the “spectacle” of a tiger attacking prey.
World Tiger Population: Approximately 4,000
Since 1900, the world tiger population has decreased by 95%. There are six subspecies of tiger; however the South China Tiger is now believed to be functionally extinct.
Killing tigers for illegal trade is the main threat to extinction. Loss of habitat to commercial plantations also poses a significant long-term threat to the tiger’s survival.
Image source: istock.com
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