Glossary

Poaching

The illegal killing or capture of wild animals, often for their skins, bones, teeth or meat, a major threat to tigers, leopards and other wild cats.

Also called: wildlife poaching, illegal wildlife trade, snaring

Poaching is hunting or taking wildlife in breach of the law, whether the animal is protected, the season is closed, or the land is off limits. For wild cats it usually means killing for a product or in retaliation. Tiger bones, skins and claws, leopard and snow leopard pelts, and jaguar canine teeth have all been sold in illegal markets. Cats also die in wire snares set for other animals, because a snare cannot tell what it catches.

Poaching works together with other threats. When prey animals are hunted out, big cats starve or turn to livestock, which raises the chance of retaliation. Because many cats occupy huge ranges, cross-border trade is hard to monitor, and enforcement often depends on rangers, informants and customs checks. International trade in wild cats and their parts is restricted under the CITES treaty.

Conservation groups use ranger patrols, camera trap monitoring, community watch schemes and tougher penalties to reduce poaching. Visitors can help by not buying wildlife products, avoiding attractions that offer cub contact, and reporting suspicious sales through local authorities. Poaching differs from regulated hunting, which operates under quotas and licences, as covered in trophy hunting. This entry is general information and not legal advice.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Endangered species A species at high risk of extinction, either under the IUCN Endangered category or on a legal list that protects it, which are different systems. Human-wildlife conflict Harm that people and wild animals cause each other, such as big cats killing livestock and herders killing cats in return. IUCN Red List The international inventory of how close species are to extinction, which sorts them into categories from Least Concern to Extinct. Trophy hunting Hunting wild animals for sport and for a trophy such as a head or skin, a debated practice that is legal and regulated in some countries. Camera trap A motion-triggered camera left in the field that photographs passing animals, widely used to count shy wild cats such as tigers and jaguars.