U.S.

Fish & Wildlife Service

U.S. Efforts to Regulate Tiger Trade

What is the status of tigers in the wild
and what are the major conservation
threats to them?

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest

and perhaps the best known of the
wild cats. It is also one of the most
imperiled. Eight subspecies of tiger are
generally recognized, of which three
are now considered extinct. Although
the tiger once ranged across Asia from
eastern Turkey to the Russian Far East,
it currently survives only in scattered
populations from India to Viet Nam,
and in Indonesia, China, and the
Russian Far East. The principal threats
to wild tiger populations are illegal
hunting and trade, loss of habitat, and a
declining tiger prey base. Additionally,
the growing popularity and use of
tiger parts and products in traditional
medicine poses a significant threat
to wild tiger populations. By current
estimates, there are only 3,500 to 5,000
tigers remaining in the wild worldwide.

What U.S. laws and international

agreements protect tigers?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) is the principal Federal
agency responsible for implementing
and enforcing the U.S. Endangered Amur tiger - also called Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)
Species Act (ESA) and the Convention © Derek Ramsey
on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the The RTCA labeling provision authorizes
(CITES). Both the ESA and CITES afford Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act OLE to seize tiger and rhinoceros
protection to endangered species (RTCA) to assist in the conservation of products directly from vendors,
and wildlife of global concern. The rhinoceroses and tigers by establishing distributors, shippers, or importers, and
United States has worked tirelessly the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation provides substantial criminal and civil
along with other CITES member Fund. Through this Fund, the Service penalties for violators. In conjunction
countries to encourage the adoption of supports anti-poaching programs, with CITES and the ESA, the RTCA is a
measures aimed at protecting wild tiger habitat and ecosystem management, powerful tool in combating the global
populations from poaching and illegal development of nature reserves, trade in products containing tiger and
trade,
rade, and ensuring
ensurin that breeding of wildlife surveys and monitoring, rhinoceros parts.
ti gers in captivity supports
tigers s conservation management of human-wildlife conflict,
goals. The ESA sp specifically prohibits
spe public awareness campaigns, and
the
he interstate and foreign commerce other conservation-related efforts FAST FACT:
in such
n listed species, su
s as the tiger, and for rhinoceroses and tigers. The RTCA
their products. The Service’s
heir parts and pro Tigers are classified by IUCN,
was amended in 1998 to prohibit the
approximately 200 Special Agents and the International Union for
sale, importation, and exportation
Conservation of Nature, as
120 Wildlife Inspe
Inspectors
Inspec within its Office of products intended for human use Endangered. In addition, tigers are
of Law Enforceme
Enforcement
Enforcemen (OLE) help control containing, or labeled or advertised as listed as Endangered under the U.S.
illegal
llegal trade and interstate
in sale of tigers containing, any substance derived from Endangered Species Act of 1973.
and their parts and products. any species of rhinoceros or tiger.
How are captive tigers in the United What U.S. enforcement efforts are
States regulated? being taken to control the trade in FAST FACT:
tigers?
The 2003 Captive Wildlife Safety Act Tigers once ranged widely across
(CWSA) and associated regulations The Service investigates violations Asia, from Turkey to the Russian Far
gave the Service a new enforcement of U.S. wildlife laws and treaties that East, but have now lost more than
tool to help keep large cats, including protect tigers and works to intercept 90% of their historic range. Habitat
tigers, in responsible hands. Except for illegal imports of tiger parts and loss and poaching are considered to
certain specified groups and persons or products at the nation’s ports of entry. be the greatest threats to tigers.
institutions licensed or registered by the In recent years, these efforts have
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal included identifying, investigating, and
and Plant Health Inspection Service intercepting Internet-based trafficking in other medicinals made from
(APHIS) under the Animal Welfare Act, tiger commodities such as live animals, endangered species in cities that range
the CWSA makes it illegal to import, skins, rugs, meat, claws, and medicinals. from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and
export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, Service casework has documented Dallas/Fort Worth to Minneapolis,
or purchase, in interstate or foreign violations of the ESA, the Federal Milwaukee, and Chicago. Recent port-
commerce, live large cats (lion, tiger, smuggling statute, and the RTCA. based inspection efforts have targeted
leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, medicinal shipments imported into
and cougar, including all subspecies and Policing the medicinal trade remains Los Angeles via ocean cargo and
hybrids of these species). In addition, a a priority. Such products are among medicinals arriving at international
number of States and local jurisdictions those commonly seized on import mail facilities in New York and Jersey
have regulations controlling the by Service wildlife inspectors. In the City.
possession and sale of big cats. 5-year period during 2005-2009, Service
enforcement officers worked on more The Service Office of Law Enforcement
than 300 cases involving violations of also works closely with enforcement
the RTCA. Service intelligence analysts counterparts around the world to
FAST FACT: recently launched a focused initiative to address tiger trafficking. Examples
target potential commercial imports of include sharing intelligence with
Under the Rhinoceros and Tiger Asian medicinals and assist inspectors at foreign investigative agencies,
Conservation Act, it is illegal key ports of entry in screening high-risk maintaining liaison with the CITES
to import or sell any products shipments for this type of trafficking. Secretariat and Interpol, and
intended for human consumption providing training and investigative
that contain, or are labeled as Service officers conduct inspection assistance on the ground to the 10
containing, any substance derived sweeps of grocery stories and medicinal member countries of the Association
from rhinoceroses or tigers. markets potentially selling tiger and of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife
Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN).
For the past 3 years, this partnership
effort has included stationing a Service
special agent in Bangkok as part of an
ASEAN-WEN Support Program funded
by the U.S. Agency for International
Development.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

International Affairs
Division of Management Authority
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 212
Arlington, VA 22203
703-358-2104 or 800-358-2104
703-358-2281/fax
managementauthority@fws.gov
www.fws.gov/international
twitter.com/USFWSInternatl

Summer 2010

Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)

Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian National Zoo