Tigers
Tigers Among US
WWF Seeks Ban on Private Ownership of Tigers in the U.S.
Did you know that there are more tigers in American backyards than there are in the wild around the world?
The United States has one of the largest populations of captive tigers in the world − estimated at perhaps 5,000 tigers, compared to as few as 3,200 in the wild. They are found in backyards, urban apartments, sideshows, truck stops and private breeding facilities.
In many jurisdictions, people can legally keep a tiger on their property without reporting it to local officials or neighbors. In some states, it is easier to buy a tiger than to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter.
Rarely can officials determine how many tigers there are in captivity within state borders − or where they are, who owns them, or what happens to their body parts (highly prized on the black market) when they die.
WWF is asking the United States government to ban private ownership of tigers. When tiger ownership and breeding aren’t monitored, captive tigers become easy targets for black market sales, and those sales end up threatening wild populations.
The illegal trade in products derived from captive tigers stimulates demand, especially for wild tigers. The more demand there is, the more wild tigers are poached.
The lack of regulation of captive tigers is also a major threat to public safety. Lax oversight means tigers can be held in areas that may not be adequately secured.
Explore this interactive map of the United States to see where captive tigers exist:
Learn more
- Florida-based Big Cat Rescue serves as a sanctuary for abandoned and abused tigers
- Know of a captive tiger in distress? Take it to Animal Abuse 911
- View an undercover operation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that netted great results Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Watch The Tiger Next Door, the acclaimed documentary by Camilla Calamandrei
