Tiger breeding farms in Southeast Asia house thousands of tigers in appalling welfare conditions — primarily to supply parts to the traditional medicine market.
Captive tiger welfare in Asian breeding farms is extreme — solitary animals adapted to large home ranges are kept in small concrete enclosures with no environmental complexity, social opportunity, or behavioral expression. Cubs are frequently removed from mothers at an early age. The conditions are incompatible with even minimal tiger welfare needs. Beyond individual welfare, the farms potentially undermine wild tiger conservation by stimulating demand for tiger products. International conservation organizations have called for closure of tiger farms and clear legal distinction between breeding farms and genuine sanctuaries.