Tiger trafficking worsens as crime networks evolve

Authorities worldwide have seized an average of nine tigers each month over the last five years, highlighting a worsening trafficking crisis that threatens the survival of one of the planet’s most beloved species, according to research released Tuesday.

- By EILEEN NG

A new report by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC warned that criminal networks are evolving faster than conservation efforts can respond. The global wild tiger population, once around 100,000 a century ago, has now plummeted to an estimated 3,700-5,500, it said.

Despite half a century of international protection, TRAFFIC’s findings showed that tiger trafficking is accelerating and increasingly targeting whole animals, living or dead. Experts say the shift appears linked to captive-breeding operations, but may also reflect tigers being seized shortly after poaching or before being dismembered for their parts. Additionally, it could be driven by a rise in exotic pet ownership or demand for taxidermy, they say.

The report, the sixth in TRAFFIC’s Skin and Bones series examining the illegal trade in tigers, highlights stark trends. Between 2000 and mid-2025, law enforcement agencies globally recorded 2,551 seizures involving at least 3,808 tigers.