Tigers Suffer in Captivity

In their native habitat, tigers swim, hunt, mate, raise families, and roam over territories of up to 400 square miles. Caged, even captive-bred tigers can go insane from lack of freedom, exercise, and the pursuit of all that is natural to them. An Oxford University study published in October 2003 reported that wide-ranging carnivores, including tigers and other big cats, “show the most evidence of stress and/or psychological dysfunction in captivity.”

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

CITES is an international trade agreement between participating countries that have agreed to abide by established regulations on the international trade of wild animals and plants. Since Iraq is not a signatory to CITES, the United States should not consider this country as a partner in trade for wildlife. The export of a tiger to Iraq would violate the spirit of CITES and eliminate a significant incentive for other countries to sign on to the provisions of this international treaty.

Furthermore, the source of the tiger proposed for export to the Baghdad Zoo is a commercial breeder. Devera Stevens of Somerville, Texas, holds a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Class B dealer’s license. She has “donated” the tiger in question to Leon Barringer, who, in turn, intends to “donate” him to the Baghdad Zoo. Typically, the export of an animal bred for commercial purposes is only permitted in exceptional circumstances. It would seem that Ms. Stevens’ “donation” of the tiger to Leon Barringer is a blatant attempt to skirt this issue.