BBC Wildlife - UK 2020-07)

supportanyformofbreeding,andboththe

GlobalFederationofAnimalSanctuaries

(GFAS)andtheAmericanSanctuary

Association(ASA)havestrictmember

policies.“Wedonotbelievethatbigcats,

whoinnatureroamhugeterritories,should

bebredforlifeina cage,”statesHoward

Baskin,advisoryboardchairmanofBigCat

RescueinFlorida.Baskinaddsthatmostof

therescuedcatsat theirGFAS-accredited

facilitycomefromprivateownerswhoare

notlicensedexhibitors,whileothersare

removedbylawenforcementfromabusive

situationsordefunctexhibitors.

InadditiontoFloridaandUSDA

exhibitorlicenses,BigCatRescueholdsa

staterehabilitatorlicenseforitsworkwith

orphanedandinjurednativebobcats.It’s

worthnotingthatwhileMyrtleBeachSafari

hasa USDAexhibitorlicense,theyarenot

currentlyaccreditedbyanyzoo,sanctuary

orrehabilitationorganisation.

Thoughirresponsiblebreedinghas

createdanunsustainablecaptivebig-cat

populationintheUS,it is alsoargued

thatstrictlymanagedbreedingbenefits

educationandconservation.TheFeline

“Theproliferationoftigerselfiesonsocial

mediaplatformshasreinforceddemand

forcub-handlingopportunitiesintheUS

andabroadand,especiallyinthecaseof

publicfigures,hasglamorisedprivate

ownershipofdangerousfelids.”

Wheninteractionwithbigcatsis

marketedtoanaudienceofmillions,

it onlyencouragespeopletoseekthese

experiences,sometimesincountrieswith

fewerregulationsthantheUnitedStates.

“Unregulatedcaptivebreedingofwild

catsandthepettingzooindustryinthe

USundermineseffortstostoptheblack

markettradeintigerparts,whichis driving

thedeclineoftigersinthewild,”explains

DrJohnGoodrich,chiefscientistand

tigerprogrammedirectorforconservation

organisationPanthera.Whilewildtiger

partsarepreferredfortraditionalAsian

medicine,thesemajesticfelidsarealso

farmedforhumanconsumption,often

undertheguiseoftourismandvolunteer

programmes.Otherbig-catspeciesare

onthemenuaswell– SouthAfricaeven

alloweda legalexportofupto 800 lion

skeletonsannuallyuntil2018,further

fuellingtheillicittrade.

Whiletigersandlionsarenotbredto

beslaughteredintheUS,thehypocrisy

stillhurtsconservationefforts.Barylak

adds,“WhenUSofficialshavepressed

othernations– includingthosein

whichtigerfarmingcontinuestogrow,

reinforcingglobaldemandforpartsand

products– torestrictsuchintensivecaptive

breedingoperations,theylackcredibility

andinfluenceduetoAmerica’sown

uncheckedtigerbreeding.”

Mixedmessages

Complicatingmattersfurtheris the

confusionaboutaccreditationand

breedingprogrammesintheUS.Whileit

is notrequiredona stateorfederallevel,

accreditationdoesofferestablishments

morelegitimacy.However,theAssociation

ofZoosandAquariums(AZA)andthe

morerecentlyestablishedZoological

AssociationofAmerica(ZAA)havevery

differentpoliciessurroundingthebreeding

ofandcaringforbigcats.

AZA’sstrictlymanagedSpeciesSurvival

Plan(SSP)Programfocusesonmaintaining

geneticdiversityat AZAfacilities,while

theZAA’sAnimalManagementPrograms

(AMPs)supportbreedingbypublicand

privateowners.Whenit comestocare,AZA

enclosuresarerequiredtohavea pooland

naturalvegetation,andtherecommended

sizefora singletigeris at least144m. The

minimumsizeofanenclosureforuptotwo

tigersat ZAAfacilitiesis listedas33m, and

poolsarerecommended,butnotrequired.

Bycontrast,accreditedsanctuaries,

rescuesandrehabilitationcentresdonot

Top: baby tigers

are bred and used

as entertainment.

Above: to ensure

ospring carry the

mutation, white

tigers in captivity

are often inbred.

“ Big cats, who in nature

roam huge territories,

should not be bred for

life in a cage.”

34 BBC Wildlife July 2020

NEWS FEATURE