Tigers breed well in captivity, and the captive population in the United States may rival the wild population of the world.
Tigers breed well in captivity, and the captive population in the United States may rival the wild population of the world.
Many US zoos are involved in the North American Tiger Species Survival Plan, (SSP). The plan is for the management of three subspecies—the Amur, Sumatran, and Indochinese tigers. The South China and the Bengal tigers are not managed by the SSP. The US conservation program is trying to maximize genetic diversity. There are have been successful assisted reproduction techniques, (in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination,) used to produce viable cubs. These techniques will be used for both captive and wild species.
The American Zoo Association (AZA) issued an opinion to accredited member zoos stating that handling big cats in public areas is not appropriate. The organization feels that such activities are of little educational value, and can encourage private ownership. These are wild animals and should be shown as such.
• Image | © Mathias Appel, Public Domain, (CC0 1.0)
• Sources | (Larson, 2006; World Animal Foundation, Tiger, Tiger Fact Sheet)
