Tigers require sufficient prey density to maintain body condition and raise cubs successfully, and prey depletion is a major threat to tiger welfare.
Tigers in prey-depleted habitats must expend significantly more energy per successful hunt, leading to poor body condition and reduced reproductive success. Starving tigers are more likely to prey on livestock, increasing conflict and retaliatory killing risk. Prey management through hunting regulations and protection is often the most cost-effective tiger welfare intervention, enabling tigers to thrive without direct management of the tigers themselves.