Happy International Tiger Day! We Asked A Zoo Keeper About The Ethics Of Tigers In Captivity

It’s International Tiger Day and to celebrate, here’s some good news: the tiger population has steadily increased in the last five years because conservation efforts fkn work. But that made me wonder: how long can we justify having tigers in enclosures if they’re stabilising in the wild? We asked a tiger keeper about the ethics of keeping these kitties in captivity. To mark the occasion, Taronga Zoo invited me along to check out their Sumatran tigers. They actually have six: mama Kartika, dad Clarence and their three-year-old cubs Mawar, Tengah Malam and Pemanah, plus Kartika’s brother Kembali. If you’re like me, you might assume tigers are bred to be released — but this little family will never see the wild. “[Our cats] are a genetic back-up for the animals in the wild,” Taronga Zoo tiger keeper Deb Price told PEDESTRIAN.TV. There are only about 350 to 400 Sumatran tigers left —  meaning Taronga’s kitties make up more than 1 per cent of the entire population. But despite these numbers, populations are slowly increasing. Sumatran tigers specifically are beginning to stabilise in their numbers, even though those numbers are low. They still have a long way to go, but allow yourself some cautious optimism. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species Assessment

#NewsAlert: In a tremendous turning point for a species on the brink of extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (@IUCN) has just announced that global #tiger numbers have stabilized and are potentially increasing. pic.twitter.com/qn0NpH20yP

— Panthera (@PantheraCats) July 21, 2022

Panthera

@pedestriantv

There are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, but conservation efforts are working to save them. #ptv #adayinthelife #internationaltigerday #tiger

♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

zoos are rooted in colonialismpushing for more ethical consumerismsuccessful rewilding projects

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