Thailand's Tiger Temple Under Fire

[churchill]

The Year of the Tiger has been billed as the big cat's best chance to escape extinction, but activists say poaching and government inaction are undermining a campaign to double the number of wild tigers.

A premier tourist site, Thailand's Tiger Temple, is billed as a sanctuary for rescued animals.

But there are growing fears of a more sinister reality.

Conservationists claim to have unmasked evidence of animal abuse and say the temple is doing nothing to protect the species.

The Tiger Temple refused to speak to AFP about the allegations

More .. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/...onservationists

[IanForbes]

They are talking about that sorry excuse for a tiger temple near Kanchanaburi. It's just a money grabbing dump of a place. I was there once and vowed never to return. Tigers were kept in tiny little steel cells and only brought out for picture taking sessions with dumb tourists. And, you weren't even allowed to take pictures yourself. The tourist has to pose with the tiger while a so called "monk" takes the picture... for an added price of course. I'm a photographer and didn't even bother taking pictures of that place... it was that bad.

I hate being negative, but that so called tiger temple appeared to be a scam to me. There is a far, far better tiger, crocodile and elephant zoo near Pattaya.

[tw25rw]

They are talking about that sorry excuse for a tiger temple near Kanchanaburi. It's just a money grabbing dump of a place. I was there once and vowed never to return. Tigers were kept in tiny little steel cells and only brought out for picture taking sessions with dumb tourists. And, you weren't even allowed to take pictures yourself. The tourist has to pose with the tiger while a so called "monk" takes the picture... for an added price of course. I'm a photographer and didn't even bother taking pictures of that place... it was that bad.

I hate being negative, but that so called tiger temple appeared to be a scam to me. There is a far, far better tiger, crocodile and elephant zoo near Pattaya.

I hope you don't mean that hideous monstrosity in Sri Racha?

[elkangorito]

If it's the place in Kanchanaburi, it's been discussed for quite some time now on many blogs.

The biggest complaints seem to be related to:

1] breeding hybrid tigers (of no conservational value whatsoever).

2] selling tigers to anyone.

3] poor living conditions for the tigers.

I will never ever go to any 'animal' show in Thailand as I refuse to support cruelty to animals.

[tw25rw]

If it's the place in Kanchanaburi, it's been discussed for quite some time now on many blogs.

The biggest complaints seem to be related to:

1] breeding hybrid tigers (of no conservational value whatsoever).

2] selling tigers to anyone.

3] poor living conditions for the tigers.

I will never ever go to any 'animal' show in Thailand as I refuse to support cruelty to animals.

By local standards it's actually pretty good.

[elkangorito]

Local standards are obviously a 180 degree phase shift from everybody else.

[elkangorito]

Here is an interesting link:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Tiger-Temple-Thailand

You oughta hear what he says about Craig Busch (The Lion Man - NZ).

[witold]

They charge big bucks to supposedly improve the lives of tigers. For many years now, they say they need the money to buy some land and build some moat so tigers have more space. Last I checked, they have made little to no progress to this end... again... despite miking tourists for big bucks...

The numbers just don't add up.

Land in Kanchananburi is not *that* expensive.

Tiger Kingdom outside Chiang Mai doesn't pretend to be something it is not and my experience there was very positive. I recommend Tiger Kingdom.

[phetaroi]

I've read a lot of criticism of the tiger temple in other sources, and most of it is by people who criticize it haven't been there...people who judge the concept by western standards, even though they haven't experienced it.

I haven't been there either. Some day I probably will, and then I'll try to make some valid judgments.

[draggons]

Pity the tourists keep funding the place, it is bad news these days! After not being there for a good few years I took my family when they were here on holiday, walked out after seeing the state of the tigers and the so called "helpers" hearding tourists about.

Boycot the place!!!!!!!!!!

[ALFREDO]

I was nevern there, but I was more than once in the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo, I liked the place and went there with my children.

Only last I had to witness when two of the Orang Utan caretakers hit one of them with wooden sticks repeatedly and strong because he left his place, where he has to sit nearly the whole day for possible pictures.

Was an ugly scene, I wrote to the Sri Rascha zoo and the Tourism Authority of TH by e-mail and showed my anger, but no answer!

Sorry.