Thailand tiger park reopens despite tourist mauling

[webfact]

Thailand tiger park reopens despite tourist mauling
Phuket's Tiger Kingdom reopens its enclosures as Australian tourist says he does not blame the tiger that mauled him
By Lee Cobaj

LONDON: -- Tiger Kingdom in Phuket has re-opened to the public following the mauling of an Australian man inside one of its enclosures last week. The park had closed for two days after Paul Goudie, 49, from Melbourne, was left needing surgery and dozens of stiches to his stomach and legs after entering the cage of a large male tiger for photographs.

Despite the life-threatening nature of the attack and major concerns about the welfare of the animals, tiger tourism looks set to continue on the holiday island. Tiger Kingdom told Telegraph Travel today that all facilities were fully open and that it would cost 900 THB (£17) to pose with a small tiger and 1000 THB (£19.25) to enter the cage one of the larger animals.

Visitors would be accompanied by a handler and restricted to a maximum of ten minutes. It appears that no new procedures have been put in place since Mr Goudie was injured.

In a video interview with local newspaper, The Phuket News, Mr. Goudie apportioned no blame to the tiger and said he hoped the cat’s life would be spared. A spokesperson for Tiger Kingdom, Tanawin Boonpang, reportedly claimed that the attack was a result of the big cat’s overprotective nature. He suggested that the tiger was trying to defend a staffer whom Mr Goudie had reached out to when trying to stand up.

Animal welfare groups, however, have condemned Tiger Kingdom, with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) describing captivity as a “living hell” for the cats.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/11195694/Thailand-tiger-park-reopens-despite-tourist-mauling.html

-- The Telegraph 2014-10-30

[robertthebruce]

No Suprise there, business as usual.....

Roll up roll up

[JOC]

Ofcourse we can't let the welfare of the animals or safety of the visitors stand in the way of $$$$$!

[bruceybonus]

No Suprise there, business as usual.....

Roll up roll up

To be fair, anybody going into a Tiger's cage deserves everything they get.

I once saw a tourist killed by an elephant, they just carried him away, washed up the blood and onto the next show.

I don't think people realise how cheap life is here & that all costs will be cut to create maximum profits. Health/safety/procedures are non existant

[BSJ]

"A spokesperson for Tiger Kingdom, Tanawin Boonpang, reportedly claimed that the attack was a result of the big cat’s overprotective nature. He suggested that the tiger was trying to defend a staffer whom Mr Goudie had reached out to when trying to stand up." 5555 Now we know who put the BS in _ull _hit!

[Bullie]

So I suppose they just upped the dosage of drugs a bit since the accident, to be on the safe side.

Not a chance in Hell that I would visit a place like that!

[ATF]

Tiger 1 Australia 0. This is what people pay to see.

I remember about ten years ago an English woman was gored to death for teasing an elephant with bananas at Nong Nooch in Pattaya.

The croc guy was another one.

Keep up the great shows.

[JeremyBowskill]

Positively Victorian idea to keep animals in cages and look at them, serves whoever right if they get eaten by 1. No need for these john merrick type freak shows IMO.

[Commerce]

So I suppose they just upped the dosage of drugs a bit since the accident, to be on the safe side.

Not a chance in Hell that I would visit a place like that!

"It appears that no new procedures have been put in place since Mr Goudie was injured."

I think anybody in their right mind wouldn't venture into a large cat's cage and space.

[robertthebruce]

No Suprise there, business as usual.....

Roll up roll up

To be fair, anybody going into a Tiger's cage deserves everything they get.

I once saw a tourist killed by an elephant, they just carried him away, washed up the blood and onto the next show.

I don't think people realise how cheap life is here & that all costs will be cut to create maximum profits. Health/safety/procedures are non existant

With you 100 percent on your comment, safety is a non starter, they have no perception of it, just watch any Thai crossing the road....,

[jaltsc]

"Tiger Kingdom told Telegraph Travel today that all facilities were fully open and that it would cost 900 THB (£17) to pose with a small tiger and 1000 THB (£19.25) to enter the cage one of the larger animals."

New sign in front of the cages..."We are not responsible for your karma if you get mauled or killed. Absolutely no refunds."

[daveAustin]

Tiger Kingdom told Telegraph Travel today that all facilities were fully open and that it would cost 900 THB (£17) to pose with a small tiger and 1000 THB (£19.25) to enter the cage one of the larger animals

Money, money, money. Buddha must be doing cartwheels at the way is followers carry on.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I actually don't have a problem with this.

If people want to have photos of themselves in a cage with a large carnivore, their choice, their risk.

Probably a lot safer than paragliding, rock climbing, scuba diving, etc.

(or even driving a scooter in Thailand)

I've done it and I still enjoy the photos.

[englishoak]

Meh ! and when someone else gets badly mauled or killed I wont be in the slightest bit surprised or sympathetic....

As long as it makes money who cares about casualties or the animals miserable lives right ?

[chainarong]

With the amount of wildlife spectaculars operating there is bound to be a few attacks happening , this happens often in Oz , just recently a attendant was mauled and a croc got hungry , mostly the carers are in danger , every now and then a spectator , you are dealing with unpredictable wild animals what do they expect, breakfast at tiffany's.

[spareword]

I actually don't have a problem with this.

If people want to have photos of themselves in a cage with a large carnivore, their choice, their risk.

Probably a lot safer than paragliding, rock climbing, scuba diving, etc.

(or even driving a scooter in Thailand)

I've done it and I still enjoy the photos.

Perhaps because the bigger picture doesn't concern you..

[arithai12]

If people want to have photos of themselves in a cage with a large carnivore, their choice, their risk.

Not that simple. When you pay a ticket to go to such a show, you are implicitly

supporting a whole system. You visit the park, enjoy a few minutes with the animal,

then leave to your beach or hotel, but what goes on there after the tourists have left?

And if you do, I hope not, get mauled, it's not just your well being at risk: it's a stress

for many and a cost for the society.

This said, it is also true that these facilities are a source of income not just for

the big organizers but also for the many people that orbit around them. It's a

complex issue, which is not just about animal parks of course and not

just in Thailand.

Anyway, I hope the fellow recovers and the tiger is spared.

[Lobo4819]

And for 30 baht, they will take your picture at the site of the mauling.

[Sayonarax]

Tiger 1 Australia 0. This is what people pay to see.

I remember about ten years ago an English woman was gored to death for teasing an elephant with bananas at Nong Nooch in Pattaya.

The croc guy was another one.

Keep up the great shows.

Please Captain Amerika, show us how its done? Clearly their missing the 100 safety stickers required on everything.

[Suffinator]

With widespread publicity across the internet it's not difficult to avoid the activities that could get you killed or leave you open to extortion.

You would have to be a moron of the highest order to enter into a cage with one of natures most effective killing machines. I don't care how many hours these animals have been trained or how they are drugged to keep them docile it is simply suicidal to attempt such.

Again the same could be said about the jetskis and yet there never appears to be an end to the number of morons willing to rent them and then face being scammed.

Thais care about one thing only... we all know that and yet often brains are left at the baggage counter.

[Prbkk]

What happens to the tigers when they get old and sick? Shipped off to China for to make sexual enhancement powders and creams?

[WhizBang]

I think most people who enter the cage with these animals have zero idea of how incredibly strong and powerful there animals are. Even the young ones.

ALL of these animal 'attractions' should be stopped.

[circusman]

I actually don't have a problem with this.

If people want to have photos of themselves in a cage with a large carnivore, their choice, their risk.

Probably a lot safer than paragliding, rock climbing, scuba diving, etc.

(or even driving a scooter in Thailand)

I've done it and I still enjoy the photos.

Comparing going in a tigers cage to scuba diving is just plain stupid sir. Also rock climbing and scooter driving. No wonder you like your photos.

[EyesWideOpen]

What happens to the tigers when they get old and sick? Shipped off to China for to make sexual enhancement powders and creams?

Yep....Sriracha Zoo was busted in 2004 for this. The Chinese people cannot be very smart if they think ground up tiger bones are a better aphrodisiac than Viagra. Maybe the Chinese media needs to conduct an educational campaign.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/scandal-of-zoos-missing-tigers-6170235.html

"And is a shipment of 100 live tigers to China the tip of an illicit trade that serves the demand for tiger meat and folk medicine or aphrodisiacs concocted from ground bones?

This week, one of the zoo's owners, Sommai Temsiripong, faces charges for breeding tigers without a permit. It may well prove to be the opening phase of the great Thailand tiger scandal"

"A spokeswoman from Sriracha Zoo, Jin Tana, denied that its tiger-breeding project had ever smuggled or trafficked animals for commercial gain: "Those 100 tigers were not sold. It was merely an exchange of animals with our Chinese partners."

Edited October 30, 2014 by EyesWideOpen

[Dibbler]

Stepping into a cage with a live tiger?? This is a Darwin awards candidate waiting to happen! Amazing Thailand!

[rickirs]

You'd think there was some change in procedures to continue unguarded exposure to tigers. The victim said he just came from riding elephants and perhaps it was the elephant smells on his body that may have triggered the attack. True or not, the park should at least determine what caused the attack, how to prevent it from happening again. Instead it's just a 2-day shutdown and everything back to the status quo. This will not be the end of more attacks only next time someone may die.

[maidee]

the show must go own

[anselpixel]

No more dangerous than a night in Pattaya, and the tigers live twice as long in these attractions as they would in the wild.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I actually don't have a problem with this.

If people want to have photos of themselves in a cage with a large carnivore, their choice, their risk.

Probably a lot safer than paragliding, rock climbing, scuba diving, etc.

(or even driving a scooter in Thailand)

I've done it and I still enjoy the photos.

Comparing going in a tigers cage to scuba diving is just plain stupid sir. Also rock climbing and scooter driving. No wonder you like your photos.

I was actually a scuba diving instructor at one time (for fun).

PADI advises that each of their instructors will be involved in 1 diving death every 3 years they are teaching.

People are generally oblivious to the dangers of their activities.

If you were to compare deaths per dive to deaths per tiger cage visit, diving deaths would win by about 100 to 1.

[Fred Flinstone]

Its like some Comic book script -

Only in Thailand could this be a regular event -

The show must go on !

I once saw a Python Bite a woman who had it around her neck a few hours out of Chiang Mai -

She was so terrified (as it was a big boy 3-4 meters long) as it turned on her - she fainted after screaming-

The wound looked nasty and she was quickly carried away *(out of other tourists view)

I had it on good authority the place resumed activities later in the afternoon same day-