Europe’s ‘Tiger Kings’: new report highlights scale of captive tigers in the EU
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By Matthew Holroyd
The number of captive tigers in Europe and the US is more than double the number left in the wild, according to a new report.
There are at least 1,600 captive tigers in Europe, compared to just 3,900 wild globally, says the global animal welfare organisation, FOUR PAWS.
FOUR PAWS states that tigers and cubs are being used as photo props and for selfies at facilities in countries including France, Germany, Spain and Malta.
‘We know of one place where it is €50 for 10 minutes with a big cat cub,’ said Kieran Harkin, Head of Wildlife Animals in Trade at FOUR PAWS International.
It is estimated that many tigers eventually ‘lose their commercial value’ and their body parts are sold for use in ‘traditional medicine’ in Asian markets like China and Vietnam.
Previous data from 2018 had officially documented only 698 captive tigers in Europe, according to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The new report comes j...
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