First ever analysis of 12 tiger range states highlights urgent need for legislative reform to reduce threats to the world’s tigers
Washington, DC (September, 17) – A new report published today by the Legal Atlas, World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC, Law of the Tiger: A Comparative Study of the Laws Governing Tiger Trafficking in 12 Tiger Range States, reveals critical legal gaps and inconsistencies that unless addressed would hinder efforts to counter the trafficking of tigers - undermining decades of conservation efforts and putting wild tigers at risk.
The report is the most in-depth analysis of laws related to tiger trafficking ever undertaken across tiger range countries. It examines the extent to which national laws address the trafficking of tigers from source to sale. It draws on national legislation and policy and CITES obligations to assess each country’s readiness to tackle one of the world’s most enduring illegal trades in wildlife.
There are an estimated 5,700 tigers left in the wild across 10 countries (Global Tiger Forum, 2025) with very low numbers in much of Southeast Asia including national extirpation in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam in the last 20 years.
Previous research has shown that, between January 2000 and June 2022, more than 3,300 tigers were seized from illegal trade globally, 85% of them within tiger range countries, underscoring the continued failure to disrupt the trade routes supplying tiger products to international and domestic markets. Strong legal frameworks are a foundational part of addressing tiger trafficking, alongside the effective enforcement of these frameworks, engagement with local communities and the reduction of demand for tiger parts and products.
“Governments must eliminate legal loopholes and build legal systems that can stand up to transnational, organized crime,” said Heather Sohl, Tiger Trade Lead at WWF. “Protecting tigers from trafficking, strengthening rule of law and ensuring that wildlife crime is treated as a serious crime relies on having effective legal frameworks.”
The report found significant gaps and inconsistencies across multiple countries and provides recommendations for legislative reform and policy priorities for national governments, including to criminalize the full tiger trafficking chain (including digital transactions); clearly define “wildlife trade” to cover gaps such as advertising, display, brokerage, and possession; and create permanent, inter-agency enforcement units with full investigative powers to tackle illegal wildlife trade.
“Legal loopholes are the trafficker’s best weapon — and the tiger’s worst enemy. Our analysis exposes how gaps in law — from unregulated captive facilities and the absence of law directed at tiger hybrids to failures in criminalizing the full trade chain — create opportunities that traffickers can easily exploit. Closing these gaps is essential if we are to give tigers a fighting chance, in the courtroom and, more importantly, in the wild.” said lead author James Wingard, JD, Legal Director, Legal Atlas.
Additional findings of the report are available via the Legal Atlas digital platform offering up-to-date legal data and tools for reform. The report is published ahead of the upcoming CITES CoP20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in November 2025 where global leaders will review progress on commitments to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Sarah Baker Ferguson, Director of Policy at TRAFFIC, said, “Strong laws are the first line of defense against the illegal tiger trade. This report shows the urgent need for governments to close legal gaps, enforce existing protections, and recognize tiger trafficking as the serious crime it is. Only by strengthening legal frameworks can we secure decades of conservation progress - and help tigers thrive.”
For media inquiries please contact:
Irene Serrano, [email protected]
About the Report
Law of the Tiger examines the laws of 12 Tiger Range Countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet Nam). The study does not assess law implementation but instead focuses on the written legal frameworks that guide national responses to tiger trafficking.
About the organizations
Legal Atlas is a legal intelligence firm that provides expertise in the compilation, assessment, and harmonization of legal frameworks, as well as consulting and training in implementation, enforcement and prosecution. Our work is supported by an award-winning legal intelligence platform that – through a variety of digital technologies – aggregates, maps, compares, and visually renders national and international laws. Visit our platform at https://www.legal-atlas.net.
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organization working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.