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Why Zachary Quinto, Prince William, and Leonardo DiCaprio Want You to Please Stop Posing With Tigers
by John Ortved
Photo: Courtesy of Tiger Beer/World Wildlife Fund/Zachary Quinto
I didn't even know there was a Global Tiger Day. But I've recently learned a great deal about tigers. Did you know each tiger has an utterly unique pattern of stripes on its fur—like our fingerprints? Did you know that the wild tiger population has dropped about 95 percent since the beginning of the 20th century, largely due to the destruction of their habitat and poaching? There are less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild. Chillingly, there are more tigers than this—5,000, in fact—in captivity in the United States alone, with more than 90 percent of them being held by individuals without the accreditation of a proper zoo or care facility (more on this later). Zachary Quinto and his friends want to turn this trend around, starting with a social media campaign on July 29, Global Tiger Day.
Quinto has joined with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Tiger beer to raise awareness of the plight of the tiger. This Saturday, his profile picture on social media will disappear, and he's encouraging all other tiger babies (those born in the Chinese year of the tiger: roughly 1998, '86, '74, et cetera) to do the same. "Any way that we can rally around tigers to protect them," says Quinto. Ultimately, those who want to support the tiger will be directed to a website where they can donate to the WWF, which is working to protect their habitats from poachers as part of a global campaign to double the tiger population by 2022 (the next year of the tiger). Tiger beer will match all donations up to $25,000 and is donating $1 million.
Quinto joins other (high-ranking, highly desirable, male) celebrities in his efforts. Harrison Ford is aligned with the Global Tiger Initiative, and Prince William and David Beckham fight tiger poaching with United for Wildlife. Leonardo DiCaprio has also joined the WWF in the effort to double the tiger population by 2022.
So what is it with dudes and tigers? "I feel like there's an incredible mystique around the animal," says Quinto, who also counts the ASPCA, the Humane Society, and The Trevor Project among the domestic causes he supports. "A lot of instinctive, primal energy. Also wisdom. It's hard to say. Also, you can think about the Chinese zodiac and the importance placed upon the animal in that regard." Quinto also sees awareness of one endangered species as the first step toward a larger consciousness. "Especially in this political climate, where human life is not regarded, we need to do what we can to maintain some balance in biodiversity, as we face challenges with climate change," he says.
Here, a game is imagined wherein those politicians who care the least for others battle to see in what order they are fed to tigers. Quinto laughs but makes it clear, that goes against his true aims. "There's a fantasy element of going down that list and how we would lash out against these people who are so reprehensible, but we have to work through that and get to a place where there is some kind of compassion and some kind of unity," he says. (Though, he allows, "Start with Mitch McConnell.")
Back to reality: The effort to double the tiger population hinges on protecting those that remain. Nilanga Jayasinghe, a senior program officer for wildlife conservation at WWF, explains how funds would be spent: getting more boots on the ground in terms of park rangers and supplying those rangers with everyday equipment as well as monitoring tools. The end game here is preventing poaching, which isn't just about their fur.
"Every body part is used for some purpose—organs are used for traditional Asian medicine, tails, penises—you name it," says Jayasinghe. "On the ground, it's difficult when a tiger has been poached, because everything has been taken, compared to rhinos, where just the horn will be missing. With a tiger, you can't even find the actual remains. You'll find out a tiger has been poached when customs agents confiscate the skin that's illegally being transported."
The black market in illegal animal parts is believed to be a $19 billion a year business: Focusing solely on supply is redundant; it's a layered problem. "Because international crime syndicates are backing these things, it's a lucrative business. It's some of the poorest of the poor in marginalized communities [who are poaching]. If there's a large amount of money they can earn through poaching an animal in your backyard, what's your option if you are going to feed your family for the next month?" she asks. The problem requires economic development strategies in these areas, as well as education, especially for youth, in places like China, where there is more wealth than ever, and tiger parts are in demand.
Another challenge is getting a good read on tiger numbers, because of their reclusiveness. "As charismatic as they are, they could be sitting a few yards away from you and you won't know they're there," says Jayasinghe. "That's why they're such good ambush predators. A cow won't know until they're on them and going for the jugular. They're very shy." That said, "We understand there to be as few as 3,890; we think it's a bump from 2010, where there were 3,200." But if that's not terrible news, it's still a long way from good. "We are in a crisis. We don't want to lose these animals," says Jayasinghe.
It's for this reason that you should be suspicious of any tigers held in captivity, especially those outside of properly accredited zoos and sanctuaries, and why you should think twice before you repost or swipe right on anyone posing with a tiger. "Tigers being held by people could be helping the black market," says Jayasinghe. "At the end of the day, tigers should be wild. In general, people shouldn't be posing with any wild animals. It's an alarming trend, I feel."
And of course, it's not just about the tiger. "They're the apex predator and without them a lot of other things in an ecosystem can fall apart," says Jayasinghe. Quinto is on the same page. "A situation where they're being hunted and poached speaks to me, and makes me feel [a] call to action is in order," he says. "Because there's a senselessness to it that's at odds with the natural order."