Tiger hunting hits South Africa

CITES have reported that from 2007-2011, South Africa exported (or re-exported) 19 tiger ‘trophies’, 7 tiger skins, 2 tiger bodies and 151 live tigers.

In the last decade the tiger, a native of Asia, has been introduced to Africa for controversial breeding programmes, some of which aim to re-introduce the species back into the wild in Asia. It is also rumoured that trophy hunting farms in Africa are now breeding non-native animals such as the tiger which are then placed into a restricted enclosure and “hunted for pleasure”. This canned hunting industry is shocking and sadly legal.

Of the 19 tiger trophies seized since 2007, one was declared a ‘hunt trophy’, with two more being labelled as ‘taken from the wild’. The rest had been bred in captivity or privately owned. Because tigers are not native to Africa, none of these products could have come from a wild hunt, which means canned hunting is likely to have been involved.

The trade of 151 live tigers from South Africa is incredibly high. With 15 exported to Botswana (where canned hunting is known to take place), 76 to UAE, 20 to Vietnam (known as a hub for the illegal trade in tiger parts) and 14 to Myanmar.

Although it is highly unlikely that these tigers came from the wild, the export and exploitation of the species in South Africa is helping to drive demand for the illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts. This puts wild tiger populations at risk as poachers seek to make money from the trade. Canned hunting is legal, however it could be contributing to the demand for tiger products and therefore is a serious issue in tiger conservation.

TigerTime is fighting to put an end to the trade in ALL tiger parts from ALL sources.
The increased exploitation of tigers in South Africa is an alarming trend.
Please help us continue to clamp down on the illegal trade through undercover investigations and protect and save the last 3,200 wild tigers – Donate here.

Written by: Chantelle Henderson
Source: Wildlife Extra