I HAVE written previously in these Ramblings that there are more captive tigers (Panthera tigris) in the US state of Texas than there are wild tigers in the rest of the world put together.

In Texas, it is simpler to own a tiger than a dangerous dog. According to estimates, there could be up to 5,000 tigers living in this southern state of the United States.

So what do they do with all these tigers? One huge trade is supplying cuddly young tiger cubs as the ultimate accessory for weddings, fashion shows, first nights and other glamorous events. 

Once the event is over or the cub gets too big or boisterous, it gets sold on or even put down for its skin. They make great bedside rugs, apparently. Some are even stuffed as a marriage souvenir.

If you want to buy a tiger in Texas you will probably amazed by the low price — between £750 and £2,000. 

Tiger ownership is at an all-time high because they are less expensive than many common pets, certainly many exotic dogs and thoroughbred horses. 

Adult tigers might be kept in indoor cages or outside game parks. Some, particularly very valuable white albino tigers, perform in elaborate tiger shows, many of which augment the entertainment in casinos and other gambling joints.

The tiger is the world’s largest existing living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. Historically, humans have hunted tigers for sport and for trophies — rugs and heads. 

Tiger body parts, particularly the penis, are still valued for various specious so-called medical practices, mainly as aphrodisiacs. Teeth are valued for tourist art and jewellery. 

I could have almost written a complete Ramblings on the poor old tiger’s todger. They are used in exotic — and expensive — cuisine. 

People have been known to spend up to £3,000 on a particularly rare tiger penis dish, which needs to be ordered months in advance.

Prices for a dried tiger penis on the black market can be as high as £1,300 in Singapore and Taiwan. The penis can be taken in soup, ground in wine (tiger penis wine) or soaked in rice. 

One method of preparation, particularly in the Mekong river delta, is to place a dried tiger penis, with testicles still attached, into a bottle of French cognac or fine Chinese wine and let it infuse for a number of weeks. Then, as it matures, the liquor is taken in sips every night.

Of course there are stories of tigers getting their own back and it is true that they have a reputation for eating a person every now and again.

Actually very few humans are attacked by tigers in the wild. Mainly it is old, unwell or even toothless beasts who kill and eat humans. 

Sometimes a careless person gets between a mother tiger and her young — the results can turn ugly.

Some cruel and macho keepers of captured tigers, in Texas and elsewhere, have developed some horrendous so-called sporting contests. It’s all a bit like badger-baiting on a grand scale.

Two male tigers can be encouraged to battle tooth and claw sometimes to the death. These contests encourage heavy betting. Tigers can be encouraged to chase, run down and kill other animals such as horses, mules, donkeys and goats. 

Some will be matched against a small pack of large and vicious dogs like pitbulls — the most popular breed of dog in the US.  

Worst of all, if you have the money and the dodgy contacts, you can witness the ultimate in tiger obscenity — a hand-to-claw battle between a tiger and a man — usually a macho bare-knuckle cage-fighting man.

Tickets are hard to get and if you do find one it will be very expensive. But that won’t mean there won’t be a big and noisy crowd.

Huge amounts are bet on these illegal contests and there are always rumours of cheating. Tigers’ teeth and claws are blunted and the beast may be tranquilised.

Sometimes the man will be allowed a knife and a few attendants with sticks and whips might be on hand to help a little.

The poor old tiger always loses and usually dies but the betting will be on how long he or she lasts and if they injure their human foe.

Much of my information for this article comes from an anti-cruelty campaigner whom I shall call Skip. She helps run an underground movement in Texas trying to stop all kinds of animal cruelty especially to big cats. I first met her at a demonstration against captive orca, or killer whale, shows in Florida.

Skip and I have kept in touch ever since and we agree her recent work against the savage abuse of what should be noble animals should be more widely known. 

Skip did point me to some ridiculous social media sites here in Britain. You can find claims by fighting girls and bother boys that they could easily fight some dangerous animal including tigers.

Hundreds claim they could take on lion unarmed and with just hand, arms and legs. Tigers? Bring ’em on. Twenty-foot king cobra? Ready when you are! The list is endless and for a special show, battle underwater with a great white shark.

Boasting is easy but I have seen actual human versus alligator bouts openly advertised in Florida — but not in Brighton Aquarium. 

Here is my personal and somewhat selective list of some of the world’s other dangerous species. Some might surprise you when compared on the danger spectrum with tigers.

Man’s best friend, the dog, kills a few humans each year, mainly very small children. Royal corgis have been prosecuted for biting small children in the royal parks. Princess Anne has a criminal record for precisely this offence. 

Worldwide, dogs kill nearly 60,000 people a year by passing on rabies. Dog-fighting is a popular, if illegal, activity all over the world.
 
Snakes bite an estimated 2.7 million people around the world each year and about 100,000 die.

Horse accidents kill about 1,000 people each year; assassin bugs spread chagas disease which kills 10,000 per year; scorpions kill 3,300 humans per year; crocodiles kill about 1,000 humans per year; elephants kill 600; hippos 500; and lions 200 humans per year. All more than the number killed by tigers (between 40-50 people a year).

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. 

It is preventable and curable. There are five parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and two of these species — Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax — pose the greatest threat. 

In 2020, nearly half of the world’s population was at risk of malaria. Most cases and deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. 

However, the World Health Organisation regions of south-east Asia, eastern Mediterranean, western Pacific and the Americas also report significant numbers of cases and deaths.

There were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria in 2020, and the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 627,000. 

The WHO African region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2020, the region was home to 95 per cent and 96 per cent of malaria cases and deaths, respectively.
 
Children under five years of age are the most vulnerable group in 2020 — they accounted for about 80 per cent of all malaria deaths in the WHO African region.

Here’s an idea, let’s spend more money, time and effort on fighting malaria and less on fighting tigers.