
Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758)
CAPTIVE BREEDING
A recent initiative by the US National Zoo, IUCN Captive Breeding Specialist group and a number of other North American scientific organizations has resulted in the development of an Action Plan for the creation of a Tiger Genome Resource Bank. This is intended to assist in the maintenance of the genetic diversity of both captive and wild tiger populations, so reducing the deleterious effects of inbreeding.6 A comprehensive captive breeding scheme is in operation incorporating zoological institutions worldwide. Details of this scheme are recorded each year in a Tiger Studbook (table 3).19
Table 3. 1994 zoo populations (studbook registrations).
Subspecies |
Male/female numbers |
Total zoo population |
Date of last record |
P.t. tigris |
167/166 |
333 |
1994 |
P.t. altaica |
270/334 |
604 |
1994 |
P.t. amoyensis |
22/14 |
36 |
1994 |
P.t. sumatrae |
125/124 |
249 |
1994 |
P.t. corbetti |
11/18 |
39 |
1994 |
Total |
595/656 |
1,251 |
1994 |
|
Source: Muller, P. 1995.19
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