Manila: An average of nine tigers per month have been seized worldwide over the past five years, signaling a deepening trafficking crisis that is pushing the species closer to extinction, wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC warned in a report released Tuesday. The group said criminal networks involved in the illegal tiger trade are expanding and adapting faster than conservation measures can keep up.
According to Philippines News Agency, while wild tiger populations numbered around 100,000 a century ago, they are now estimated at just 3,700 to 5,500, according to the report. Despite decades of international protection, TRAFFIC found that seizures increasingly involve whole animals, alive or dead, suggesting a shift in trafficking methods.
Researchers said this trend may be tied to captive-breeding facilities, quicker interception of poached tigers before they are butchered for parts, or rising demand for exotic pets and taxidermy. The seventh edition of TRAFFIC's Skin and Bones series recorded 2,551 seizures involving at least 3,808 tigers between 2000 and mid-2025.
From 2020 to June 2025 alone, authorities worldwide made 765 seizures, representing 573 tigers, or roughly nine animals each month. The worst years on record were 2019 with 141 seizures and 2023 with 139. 'This rise reflects improved enforcement efforts but also signals persistent and in some areas escalating criminal activity and a widespread demand for tigers and their parts,' said Ramacandra Wong, senior wildlife crime analyst and report co-author.
The report said investigations should not end at the point of seizure. It said strong international cooperation is crucial, and that disruption of organized crime network along the illegal trade chain through intelligence-led, multi-agency enforcement is essential.
