The Asian medicine trade is probably the biggest threat to the survival of tigers in the wild.
Some people believe that certain parts of a tiger's body can be used to cure disease.
For over 2,000 years, tigers have been used in Asian medicine as ingredients in aphrodisiacs and to treat a wide variety of illnesses, including gallstones, acne, and convulsions. Although the killing of tigers is now banned worldwide, poaching continues. Supplying tiger parts for use in Asian medicine rewards the poachers. This is probably the biggest threat to the survival of the tiger in the wild. Programs are now underway to educate people about this danger to the tiger.