Tigers in captivity range from well-managed zoo populations contributing to conservation to tiger farms producing bones for traditional medicine under appalling welfare conditions.
Tigers in captivity exist on a spectrum from genuine conservation to brutal exploitation. Well-run accredited zoos provide large naturalistic enclosures, enrichment, and veterinary care. Tiger farms confine animals in small concrete cells, breed continuously for bone extraction, and euthanize animals to harvest products. Roadside zoos in the US keep tigers in grossly inadequate conditions. Tiger selfie venues drug and confine animals for tourist photo opportunities. The welfare harm is severe at the exploitative end and the conservation value is nil — farmed tigers cannot be released and are genetically inappropriate for wild populations.