Panthera on Netflix's "Tiger King"

With its larger-than-life characters, Netflix’s docu-series “Tiger King” put a controversial spin on a real problem—breeding tigers for profit has created an animal welfare, public safety and law enforcement nightmare in the U.S. As this series and a number of investigative reports that preceded it have shown, America has a big and growing captive tiger crisis right in its own backyards, but it pales in comparison to the one facing endangered wild populations.

Panthera supports enacting the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a bipartisan bill to end commercial captive breeding and exploitation of tigers in this country.

And we hope that the momentum to help tigers doesn’t stop there. Panthera Chief Scientist and Tiger Program Director Dr. John Goodrich talks about the threats facing wild tigers and why we need to advocate for them now more than ever. Read the Q&A here.

Ten Things You Can Do for Wild Tigers

1. Contribute to organizations like Panthera that are protecting tigers in the wild and recovering their populations.
2. Help raise awareness about the crisis facing wild tigers by educating yourself and sharing factual, timely information with your friends and family.
3. When planning a zoo visit, look for local WAZA, EAZA, AZA and other accredited zoos that contribute to wild tiger conservation.
4. Don’t buy or use products containing (or saying they contain) tiger or other wildlife parts, including Traditional Medicine like tiger plasters, and tiger bone wine.
5. Don’t buy or use trinkets or decorative items made from tigers or any illegally traded wildlife parts.
6. Don’t use products containing unsustainable palm oil—a substance found in thousands of commonly used items that contributes to wholesale destruction of wild cat habitat.
7. Don’t visit or support attractions that offer opportunities to handle wild cats, including petting and feeding, walking, or taking photos with them.
8. If you are a U.S. citizen, let your Members of Congress know that you’d like them to support the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
9. Wherever you live, vote for government representatives and legislation that protect endangered species.
10. Stand up for science!

Dr. John Goodrich, Chief Scientist, Tiger Program Director, sits down with WIRED to talk about concerns around if captive animals can be reintroduced into the wild. Is it ever possible for a tiger to actually make a good pet?

The Tiger Kings of Southeast Asia

Joe Exotic is not the only one who thinks he rules tigers. The “Tiger Kings” operating in the deep forests of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are devastating tiger populations in Southeast Asia. Poachers in this region hide out for months at a time in the forest, setting hundreds of snares and wiping out whole populations of tigers. Panthera, with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Malaysia and the Department of National Parks in Thailand, trains park rangers to effectively counter these tactics. We also work with law enforcement officers and members of the judiciary to effectively prosecute and sentence these wildlife criminals, permanently knocking them from their thrones.

"While tiger breeding and fake tiger sanctuaries are despicable and fueling the trade in tiger parts, the Malay subspecies may go extinct within the next 3-5 years, joining the Bali, Javan, South China and Caspian subspecies in oblivion and leaving only Siberian, Bengal, Indochinese and Sumatran. Panthera is focusing on saving the tigers in these areas, especially in Southeast Asia, but we desperately need your help."

— Joe Smith, Ph.D., Executive Director, Conservation Action