It’s not just a tourist trap — it’s also a tiger’s worst nightmare.
A place exists in Thailand that, to unsuspecting tourists, is known for ‘rescuing’ tigers from poachers and giving them a place to live ‘freely’ and ‘peacefully’, amongst ‘Buddhist monks’ who claim to be actively involved in tiger conservation efforts. This place is called the ‘Tiger Temple’ and hundreds of people visit it each day. They peruse the seemingly peaceful scene and have rare opportunities to have their photo taken with these extraordinary endangered animals. Little do they know, this tiger ‘haven’ has some very deep, dark secrets.
The Thai Tiger Temple (and the many other places like it) have been repeatedly exposed for their involvement in illegal tiger trafficking, ‘systematic physical abuse’ of their captive cats, and purposefully putting their visitors and tigers high risk situations. Animal rights groups, like Care for the Wild International (CWI) and Cee4Life, have frequently reported on the many concerning issues surrounding this lucrative enterprise.
CWI’s investigators have shown that the facility no longer rescues tigers, but instead illegally breeds them to sustain their operations. Worse yet, Tiger Temple has been found to be routinely exchanging tigers with a tiger farm in Laos, where the animals are kept under appalling, inhumane conditions and are often neglected and left to die, so that their body parts may be sold in the illegal wildlife trade–one of the biggest threats to endangered wild tiger populations. It seems things at the Tiger Temple aren’t much better, as housing for the cats fall far short of the minimum requirements established by international zoo guidelines and the animals are fed insufficient diets.
Investigators have personally witnessed numerous accounts of maltreatment and physical abuse of the Temple’s felines, which appear to be commonly used methods for “training” the animals to make them compliant when in the presence of the business’s visitors. These disturbing acts have even been caught on video and the footage has been circulating the internet for quite some time now. They predators are subject to unhealthy and often dangerous circumstances when they are placed on display, and many suspect the Temple staff of drugging the beauties to keep them docile during these times.
Although the information is readily available to anyone who knows how to search the net, the Tiger Temple (and other places like it) continue to get hundreds of tourists per day. Perhaps one of the most confusing points in this issue is that the place is run by people claiming to be Buddhist monks. The Buddhist religion is well-known for its opposition to causing the suffering of other living beings and its admiration of and respect and appreciation for all things existing on our planet. What is going on at the Tiger Temple seems go against all principles of this ancient religion.
For the sake of these innocent creatures, we ask you not to visit Thailand’s Tiger Temple. Please help to raise awareness about the issues surrounding it, and bring these matters to the attention of anyone you know that plans to visit this country. Today may be Global Tiger Day, but we can celebrate these animals every day. Do your part.
To read CWI’s full report on the happenings at Tiger Temple, please click here.
Image ©Bhatti Ijaz/Wildlife Cosmos
I am a biologist-turned-writer, with a BSc in wildlife science from Oregon State University. I have been writing about global wildlife conservation issues since 2009. You may know me from my previous role at Bush Warriors or from my ongoing work with Annamiticus, Saving Rhinos, and Project Pangolin. When I'm not blogging, I enjoy loud music, creating art, hula hooping, and being outdoors. Read more of my articles here.
One Response to “The Brief Truth About Thailand’s Tiger Temple”