Global authorities reported a rising number of tiger seizures in recent years, showing a worsening illegal trade that continues to threaten the remaining wild population. Findings released on November 25, 2025, by TRAFFIC, an international wildlife trade monitoring network, indicated that an average of nine tigers per month were confiscated between 2020 and June 2025. These cases occurred mainly in the 13 countries that still hold wild tiger populations, including India, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The report stated that the global population has fallen from an estimated 100,000 a century ago to only 3,700 to 5,500 today. Analysts noted that the demand for skins, bones, claws, and live animals has created a pervasive market that fuels continuous exploitation across multiple regions.

TRAFFIC’s study explained that trafficking groups have adopted more sophisticated methods, pushing enforcement agencies to strengthen operations through coordinated, intelligence-led investigations. The report documented more than 2,500 seizures from 2000 to mid-2025, representing at least 3,808 tigers. Experts observed a major shift: whole carcasses and live animals now represent a significant share of confiscated items, increasing from about 10 percent in the 2000s to nearly 40 percent since 2020. Specialists suggested that captive-breeding facilities may be intensifying the problem by supplying animals that later enter illegal markets. Conservation groups warned that the trend has become formidable and may lead to irreversible ecological effects without stronger intervention. The analysis emphasized that the continuing trade poses a critical risk to tiger survival and requires sustained cooperation among governments to disrupt the networks responsible.