EU tiger trade
The ruthless business of tiger traders in Europe
The Legal trade
Research by FOUR PAWS revealed that tiger traders operating in Europe can easily sell captive bred tigers to Asian countries where the demand for tiger parts for traditional medicine is widespread. Further enquiries also reveal how the legal trade facilitates illegal trade with tiger ending up in hands of convicted wildlife traffickers.
Top 5 of EU member states exporting live tigers:
| 01 | Italy | 294 |
| 02 | France | 214 |
| 03 | Germany | 194 |
| 04 | Czech Republic | 84 |
| 05 | Spain | 79 |
Exports of live tigers to Asia
| 01 | China | 67 |
| 02 | Vietnam | 31 |
| 03 | Cambodia | 24 |
| 04 | Thailand | 19 |
| 05 | Malaysia | 3 |
The illegal trade
The killing of tigers for traditional medicine and the trade of tiger products is not only an issue in Asia but also here in Europe. Between 1999 and 2017, 8,278 illegal tiger products, such as tiger bouillon cubes, teeth and claws, and 57 illegal live tigers were confiscated in the EU. All seizures are assumed to represent 10 % of what is smuggled so these official numbers only show the tip of the iceberg.
Top 5 EU member states regarding number of seized LIVE TIGERS:
| 01 | France | 8 seizures | 18 tigers |
| 02 | Italy | 6 seizures | 13 tigers |
| 03 | Belgium | 4 seizures | 11 tigers |
| 04 | Slovakia | 2 seizures | 8 tigers |
| 05 | Spain | 7 seizures | 7 tigers |
Top 5 EU member states regarding number of seized TIGER PRODUCTS:
| 01 | Denmark | 16 seizures | 2 688 products |
| 02 | The Netherlands | 51 seizures | 1 784 products |
| 03 | UK | 93 seizures | 952 products |
| 04 | Germany | 36 seizures | 892 products |
| 05 | Czech Republic | 4 seizures | 804 products |
