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5 Myths About Tigers in Captivity-And the Truth

Tanya Erzinclioglu

Significant numbers of tourists from around the world visit Thailand every year and many want to participate in these activities in order to experience a close interaction with a tiger. However, we have found that there are many public misconceptions regarding tigers held in captivity and human-tiger interactions. Some of these beliefs are relatively harmless, but many can affect tiger welfare.

tiger lying for a photo op
Tiger chained for photos | For Tigers, 2018

Myth 1: Tigers are drugged for photos

One of the most common misconceptions is that tigers involved in photo opportunities are drugged. Considering the safety of tourists as a starting point, this can be a very dangerous assumption. Some tourists may be more willing to pay for interactions if they believe that the tiger is sedated in some way, thus feeling safer in the interaction. This myth has, on many occasions, led to incidents where the tourist has been attacked. Potentially more harmful, is the way this myth diverts focus from the real welfare issues that occur within these facilities. Credibility of NGOs can be lost when this myth is propagated by welfare organisations. Subsequent efforts to improve other aspects of welfare are more likely to be ignored by such facilities as they may perceive these NGOs to lack proper welfare knowledge.


The Truth ...

There are several other reasons why tigers can act, or appear to be, drowsy or sleepy when in the presence of humans. Firstly, tigers engage in passive or resting behaviours 80% of the time and are also more active between dusk and dawn, rather than the daytime hours when tourists are present. Second, many tigers are hand-raised from a young age, habituating them to human contact and the presence of unfamiliar people. Some facilities also attempt to choose tigers with calmer, friendlier personalities for tourist interactions. Males, although larger, are also more commonly used as they are less active and unpredictable than females.

sedated tiger for an operation
Tiger sedated for a medical procedure | For Tigers, 2014

Tourist tigers are also usually younger, being cubs or subadults, who are more playful and adaptable when faced with stressful situations. However, tigers can often appear lethargic and unresponsive because of serious welfare problems that need to be addressed. These tigers are often trained using punishment, leading to learned helplessness, which manifests itself as reduced competitiveness/aggression, depression and passivity. Such behaviours are then wrongly construed as the side effects from drugging. Poor nutrition, through an incorrect diet lacking vital nutrients, or over-feeding resulting in obesity, can also both result in increased lethargy. Finally, to perpetuate desirable, passive personality traits, many tigers are heavily inbred.

tiger cubs
Five cubs in one litter | For Tigers, 2015

Myth 2: Tigers do not breed if they are stressed

The high numbers of facilities with large numbers of cubs sometimes raises questions with the public. However, we have found that a common belief is that captive tigers will not breed if they are stressed. This belief reportedly stems from a comparison withother captive animals, such as pangolins,where stress is known to impact fecundity. By default, assumptions such as these lead visitors to believe that the facility isproviding the tigers with a good level of welfare if there are so many cubs. In short, the tigers are breeding, so they must be happy.



The Truth ...

Unfortunately, the truth is that tigers tend to breed well in captivity regardless of the level o fwelfare they experience. This enables both tiger-tourism facilities and tiger farms to profit from the relative ease with which captive tigers breed. Tigers can continue breeding as long as the female is kept fairly healthy and well-fed. Not all tigresses will breed well. There are often a few tiger pairs who breed well, which may mean that a few females will be over-bred and have several litters each year, a procssed dubbed 'speed breeding'. There are reasons why a tiger might not breed and this includes behavioural problems, stress or that the right mate is not available – animals are selective in who they wish to mate with.

group of tiger cubs asleep
Ten cubs from three litters | For Tigers, 2011

However, one of the reasons why large-scale tiger farms are able to produce constant litters is that there are so many females available. This means there is no need to provide breeding breaks to conserve the health of regularly producing females. Facilities will have other breeding females that are able to take her place, thus either automatically providing breaks or taking over if she's no longer able to breed. As, there are so many tigers, breeding pairs can be formed easily.


tiger cubs feeding from mother
Tigress caring for her cubs | For Tigers, 2015

Myth 3: Captive tigresses abandon their cubs

Maternal cub rejection is another common assumption made by visitors to facilities with a lot of cubs or tiger interaction opportunities. A common belief is that captive tigers who are not raised by their mothers will not learn, or have the skills, to raise cubs on their own. To the visitor, this myth helps explain why the facility is hand-rearing the cubs rather than letting them stay with the mother. It also enables the facility to promote their business as kind and caring as it appears they help abandoned cubs. This probably creates a more positive experience for visitors, in terms of feeling good about their own participation.


The Truth ...

There is partial truth to this myth as, in some cases, captive tigresses have been known to abandon their cubs, or even eat them. However, it is important to examine the cause of this behaviour. Rather than this behaviour being a sign of poor motherhood, this behaviour usually stems from stress and the unnatural environment that the mother is kept in. A tigress abandoning her cubs should raise red flags about the welfare levels provided to tigers at this facility. Rather than accepting it as a sad situation, visitors should question what made the mother reject the cubs in the first place and what the facility has done to rectify the situation. It is suggested that this behaviour can arise from the tigress adjusting her litter size as has been seen in wild situations.

2-day old tiger cubs
Cubs removed from their mother after two days | For Tigers, 2015

However, while some facilities claim maternal rejection occurs in 80% of births, this is not true. The norm is for captive tigresses to be able to successfully raise their cubs, which is evidenced in reputable zoos around the world, where captive-bred tigresses generally raise healthy cubs. Mothering instincts are usually strong and do not require maternal teaching, even in captive tigers that have been raised in poor conditions. In the wild, tigers will leave their mother before breeding age, learning only how to hunt and survive from their mother. However, the reality in many facilities in Thailand is that cubs are removed from their capable mothers simply to make money by being bottle-fed by tourists. Separation usually takes place when the cubs are two weeks old, sometimes younger. Both cubs and mothers suffer by such practices, as the removal of cubs will trigger the tigress to go into heat very quickly, something that would only happen in the wild if she were to lose a litter. Losing cubs either in the wild or captivity, will always be a stressor.


zoo sign
Signage at a tiger zoo | For Tigers, 2019

Myth 4: Breeding is for conservation or release into the wild

Similar to the issue with tiger colour variants, another common myth is that tigers in captive facilities are bred for conservation purposes. Some facilities insist that this is to keep tigers on the planet in any form, while others will insinuate that their tigers can be released into the wild to help with in-situ conservation efforts. Some tourists are also led to believe that engaging in photo opportunities helps fund conservation projects and thus helps wild tiger conservation.


The Truth ...

The high levels of breeding that occur in tiger facilities in Thailand have nothing to do with conservation. For most of these tigers, there is no real family tree or studbook available. Tigers are often hybrids, i.e. a cross between subspecies, which at this time means they could not be released into the wild even if release were possible. To date, there has been no successful release into the wild of a captive-bred tiger.


overweight tiger
Overweight tiger | For Tigers, 2015

Myth 5: Tigers are fat because they store fat for winter

Captive tigers are often fatter than they should be, compared to their wild counterparts. Many facilities around the world display tigers that are overweight. The general public are often unaware that these overweight tigers are obese because they have little or no reference point, often relying on information provided by the facility. In fact, since it is more common to see tigers who are overweight, tourists who see tigers who are the optimal weight, may believe that they are too thin and make complaints about their welfare. Unfortunately, many facilities provide misinformation to visitors, claiming that tigers store fat for the winter, similar to hibernating bears. The public are often informed that the tigers will lose the weight once the hotter months come around.


The Truth ...

In short, fat tigers are not healthy tigers. Wild tigers do not increase their weight in preparation for the winter months. Though some facilities compare the fatness to wild tigers, tigers in the wild are very good at regulating their body weight simply because obesity is an inconvenience and would hinder hunting. In the wild, tigers do not feed everyday, and though they will gorge when they do make a kill, this is not going to make them overweight. It is also unlikely that food would be so plentiful over a long period that obesity would even be possible. Captive tigers are not as active as their wild counterparts and are less likely, or indeed able (depending on the environment they live in), to exercise and use up excess energy from over feeding. Therefore, it is important for facilities to understand how much food each tiger needs.

underweight tiger
Skinny tiger | For Tigers, 2018

It is generally considered that tigers need 140kcal per kilo of body weight per day, and should be mainly fat and protein, with specific amino acids required in addition to the calorie requirement. Newer research suggests sufficient fibre is also important. In order to understand whether a tiger is healthy, observation of specific areas of the body such as the tailbone and hips; waist and abdomen; spine and ribs; and neck and shoulders, is needed. Overweight tigers will have large fatty deposits on all of these areas with no visible, round stomach and abdominal fat pads with no definition between these areas. Very thin tigers on the other hand, will have easily visible ribs, protruding vertebrae, a high abdominal tuck, no muscle mass or fat and a gaunt face. A healthy tiger will be lean and muscular, with a waist observed behind the ribs, ribs covered with a slight layer of fat and with a minimal fat pad.


Understanding these myths and what is really going on with captive tigers is an essential step toward demanding improved captive tiger welfare. Checkout our full mythbusting report.

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