FALLING THROUGH THE SYSTEM: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CAPTIVE TIGER POPULATION IN THE TRADE IN TIGERS

The report examines the role of the EU's captive tiger population in the global trade of tigers and their derivatives. It identifies significant regulatory loopholes in the keeping and disposal of tigers, particularly in private facilities and circuses, which may be exploited by organised criminal groups to supply Asian markets. While accredited zoos are well-regulated, the report finds inconsistent national laws across the EU, a lack of centralised traceability registers, and weak oversight of deceased specimens. Trade data from 2013–2017 confirms the EU's continued commercial export of captive-bred tigers and parts to countries like Viet Nam and Thailand, which may stimulate demand and increase poaching pressure on wild populations.

• Between 2013 and 2017, the EU reported direct exports of 103 live tigers, with Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, and France as the top five exporters.
• Live tigers were the most exported commodity from the EU, with Thailand and Viet Nam identified as the largest importers of these exports.
• Viet Nam was the largest importer of live tigers re-exported from the EU, with 18 tigers reported as being for commercial trade, originating from France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• EU seizures of tiger commodities between 2013 and 2017 were dominated by medicinal products containing tiger derivatives, which accounted for approximately 94% of all items seized.
• The Czech Republic uncovered organised criminal groups using a network of private breeders and middlemen to illegally export captive-bred tigers to Asia, exploiting weaknesses in national regulations.
• There is a significant lack of centralised registers for tigers in captivity across the target countries, with the Czech Republic being the only exception.
• Regulations for the disposal of deceased tigers are weak and inconsistent; rendering plants often provide limited information to authorities, failing to specify the species or marking of the specimen.
• While most EU countries only allow licensed zoos to hold tigers, ten countries permit them in private facilities or circuses, and four countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Spain) permit both.
• In the Czech Republic, 62% of the 170 tigers held nationwide were in non-licensed facilities, such as private ownership or circuses.
• EAZA-accredited zoos follow strict non-commercial population management through the EEP, where tigers cannot be sold or leased and transfers are for non-commercial purposes.
• The report identifies France, Slovakia, and Spain as 'high risk' countries due to their domestic legislation allowing tigers in private facilities and their involvement in legal or illegal trade.

APA

L., M. (2020). FALLING THROUGH THE SYSTEM: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CAPTIVE TIGER POPULATION IN THE TRADE IN TIGERS. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1246/2ud93btit1_200923_FALLING_THROUGH_THE_SYSTEM_web.pdf

Chicago

L., Musing,. FALLING THROUGH THE SYSTEM: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CAPTIVE TIGER POPULATION IN THE TRADE IN TIGERS. WWF International, 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1246/2ud93btit1_200923_FALLING_THROUGH_THE_SYSTEM_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=L. |first1=Musing, |title=FALLING THROUGH THE SYSTEM: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CAPTIVE TIGER POPULATION IN THE TRADE IN TIGERS |publisher=WWF International |date=2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1246/2ud93btit1_200923_FALLING_THROUGH_THE_SYSTEM_web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{l2020falling, author = {L., Musing,}, title = {{FALLING THROUGH THE SYSTEM: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CAPTIVE TIGER POPULATION IN THE TRADE IN TIGERS}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1246/2ud93btit1_200923_FALLING_THROUGH_THE_SYSTEM_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }