To make them safe for tourists to handle, tiger cubs will often have their canine teeth and claws removed – a process which causes them great pain.
More tigers live in captivity today than in the wild. It is estimated that just in the United States, the number of captive tigers is at least 5,000 - far more than the 3,200 left in the wild globally. Many of these captive tigers are not kept by accredited sanctuaries or zoos, but by private owners.
Tourists are often not aware of the cruelty that tigers suffer for these tourist attractions. That’s why we recently launched the next step in our ‘Before they book’ campaign, to expose the hidden suffering that lies behind posing with tigers for holiday snaps.
Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, our Programme Manager for Wildlife in the Asia-Pacific region, said:
“We’re disappointed to see yet another celebrity posing with a wild animal. Tigers belong in the wild, where their needs can be fully met – not in captivity for use as entertainment or photo props.
“While interacting with tigers may seem harmless, people posing with wildlife don’t realize that a ‘once in a lifetime’ photo for them means a lifetime of misery for the animal. To be used for entertainment, tigers are forcibly removed from their mothers as cubs, trained to perform, and often suffer for the rest of their lives in captivity.
“Tigers are also highly unpredictable, and tourists around the world have been mauled or attacked when posing or interacting with these animals, underlining that show-business is no career for a wild animal.
“To people like Khloe Kardashian who love animals, our message is simple: see them in the wild.”
Global research shows that 50% of people who pay for a wild animal experience, do so because they love animals. We know that if these animal lovers were aware of the abuse that takes place at wildlife tourist attractions and parks, they would never take part.
Help us end animal abuse
You can help us end the suffering that goes on behind the scenes at animal attractions around the world. Join our Before you Book campaign and share our video.
