More than 15,000 of you responded when we asked you to contact the USFWS during their public comment period from
YOU spoke out and said it is time to end the generic tiger loophole that allows inbred and cross bred tigers to be treated as if they are not “real tigers”. Now it is just a matter of time.
The USFWS historically takes months and sometimes years to respond, but at least the process has begun. They will be tabulating all of the responses and will issue their decision when they are done. More than ten times as many people spoke out in favor of protecting all tigers than exploiters did to create this loophole so we are pretty confident that the USFWS will do the right thing.
Thanks to all of you who have sent tens of thousands of letters over the past decade to the USFWS they have finally heard your concern for all of the tigers who are bred in the U
Thank you for helping us get to this point with all of your letters over the past 10 years to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
S. to be used as pets, props and illegally for their parts. These tigers, which are the ones who are not in accredited AZA zoos, are inbred and cross bred and serve no conservation value. They are only bred because cubs are money makers for those who breed them.
You can help put an end to the breeding of tigers who resource do not serve any real conservation purpose through their genetics by letting the USFWS know that you support them closing the generic tiger loophole. You can do it in a hard copy letter that you mail or by using their form, if you can wind your way through their website system. Directions are below in bold.
Federal Register Volume 76, Number 162 (Monday, ) Proposed Rules Pages 52297-52301 From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [gpo.gov] FR Doc No: 2011-21303
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to amend the regulations that implement the Endangered Species Act (Act) by removing inter-subspecific crossed or generic tiger (Panthera tigris) (i.e., specimens not identified or identifiable as members of Bengal, Sumatran, Siberian, or Indochinese subspecies from the list of species that are exempt from registration under the Captive-bred Wildlife (CBW) regulations. The exemption currently allows those individuals or breeding operations who want to conduct otherwise prohibited activities, such as take, interstate commerce, and export, under the Act with U.S. captive-bred, live inter-subspecific crossed or generic tigers to do so without becoming registered. We are proposing this change to the regulations to strengthen control over captive breeding of tigers in the United States to ensure that such breeding supports the conservation of the species in the wild consistent with the purposes of the Act. The inter-subspecific crossed or generic tigers remain listed as endangered under the Act, and a person would need to obtain authorization under the current statutory and regulatory requirements to conduct any otherwise prohibited activities with them.
We will not accept e-mails or faxes. We will post all comments on This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section at the end of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for further information about submitting comments).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy J. Van Norman, Chief, Branch of Permits, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 212, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone 703-358-21040; fax 703-358-2281. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.