Why Are There So Many Tigers In Texas?

Why there will likely soon be more tigers in backyards in Texas than in the wilds of Asia.

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Credits (and Twitter handles):
Video Illustrator: Qingyang Chen
With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Ever Salazar, Peter Reich

Image Credits: Camera trap photo courtesy of Ullas Karanth from the Wildlife Conservation Society
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If you liked this week’s video, we think you might also like these things:

FYI: We try to leave jargon out of our videos, but if you want to learn more about this topic, here are some handy keywords to get your googling started:
Crypsis: An animal’s ability to avoid detection by other animals. Tigers use camouflage crypsis as part of their predation strategy.
Apex Predator: An animal on top of the food chain with no natural predator in its ecosystem.
Camera Trap: A motion-sensor activated camera to capture images of animals in the wild with as little human interference as possible.
Cultural Climate: Shared perceptions and attitudes in a particular area.
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References:

Karanth, U. (2016). Personal Communication.

[thomilo]

This is so weird, Yet oddly non-surprising.

[vialactea]

If texans are so keen on owning tigers why don't they join and make the largerst tiger sanctuary in Texas?

[eratonysiad]

If Americans think that everything is bigger in Texas, and Europeans think that everything is Huge is the US. How big is everything in Texas?!

[rionn]

so much relevant information in so little time, very nice MinuteEarth!

[TheGroovyGuitarDude]

I live in Texas and had no idea I could own a tiger until just now... BRB!

[carboxysome]

What's next, are we gonna build colossal aquariums and keep blue whales as pets?

[ratatataraxia]

I was born and raised in Texas and I saw tigers growing up a lot in the country, people would just have them in their back yard in big chain link fenced areas, at the time I didn't think about it, now I know.

[milosminion]

Texas: If Florida and Australia had a baby

[civilsavant]

I've lived in TX for over 20 years and have never heard of this. The place just gets weirder every day.

[MinuteEarth]

Do y'all think that people raising endangered species at home can assist zoos in conserving species at risk? Should this be encouraged?

[RehsNahk]

There's a ranch in Texas called King Ranch that is 11.8 times bigger than one of the most famous national parks in India. Ranthambore National Park (109 sq mile)currently holds 62 tigers. King Ranch can hold more than 500. The ranch has many exotic deers and antlers that lions and tigers are familiar with. King Ranch is currently for sale for $750 million. If i had that kind of money, i would use that ranch for game hunting (prey animals) and tiger rehabilitation facility.

[Clever_Catchphrase]

I guess you managed to keep this as neutral-sounding as possible, but I still kind of wish you mentioned how these "pet" tigers are not good for their conservation. Because just so many are unregistered, we don't know their genetic history and therefore can't use them in breeding programs to help rebuild their numbers in the wild. This is mostly in part due to white tigers, all of which are severely inbred and unhealthy. Even if a tiger is not pure white, it may be related to one, which would automatically exclude them from any successful SSP. The idea that one day the only way we might be able to see tigers is by going to someone's back yard is really just sad...

[Carriersounds]

Tigers breed better in captivity, or should I say, CATivity.
kthxbye

[sean]

listen, I'm from Texas, this is news to me too. I don't have friends with tigers in their backyard. 3000 is alot sure, but there's like 12 million Texans.

[tharrock]

You know what, this is suprisingly unsuprising

[Zenabean]

i didnt even know aboout this and i live here

[MattisProbably]

For the love of Garfield, *PLEASE* don't paint a picture that keeping endangered animals is alright! D: You didn't even mention *ONCE* that animal trafficking is one of the prime reasons why so many species are going extinct. This video actually makes it sound like owning a tiger is a good thing because it keeps them from going extinct... Which it certainly doesn't, once they are instinct in the wild they are gone. Period.
I have talked to so many Americans over the internet who see no problem in keeping lemurs at home for example, even though there are only about 2000 ring-tailed lemurs left in the wild with roughly 20.000 being kept as pets on Madagascar alone. This arrogance is what drives many many species to extinction in the wild...

[TheThomasBarry]

That's something I never considered in the event of an apocalypse. Bears and wolves, sure, but now I have to factor in tigers. Thanks Texas

[MarinaAli]

I remember watching this video when it first came out and now that Tiger King came out on Netflix, this video means a lot more now in the context of the documentary

[won]

Well this makes me sad because tigers are now extinct in my country.