HANOI - With fewer than 4,000 left in the wild, tigers are on a precipice -- yet more than 100 of the big cats are still killed and illegally trafficked each year, according to fresh analysis published Wednesday. The two-day meet joins governments, NGOs and activists to combat illegal wildlife trade and is being hosted in a country that has become a nexus for smuggling and consumption. "Any further stimulation of demand could have a more disastrous impact on wild tigers." Around 30% of tiger parts seized between 2012 and 2015 now come from captive tigers compared to just two percent between 2000 and 2003. Animal rights groups argue that by keeping demand for tiger parts going, farms simultaneously perpetuate the destruction of tigers in the wild.

Source: Bangkok Post November 16, 2016 09:58 UTC