Big bike forced off road by car on Bangkok highway - video

[Jacob Maslow]

Thai wildlife officials say the Tiger Temple is not abusing their tigers. But the government may step in to care for the big cats.

Following a raid at the famed Tiger Temple last week, wildlife officials say the temple is not abusing their tigers. No evidence of mistreatment was found of the Buddhist temple’s 100+ tigers. However, the temple is being charged for keeping rare hornbill birds.

A three-hour inspection was carried out on Thursday by about 50 officials from the religious affairs and wildlife departments. Soldiers also assisted with the investigation.

The Tiger Temple is well-known for its 100+ tigers that live alongside the temple’s monks. The temple and its tigers are open to visitors who pay a small fee to take photos and pet the surprisingly tame cats. In fact, the tigers are so well behaved, the temple was also accused of drugging the cats to keep them tame. Both the temple and the veterinarian who cares for the tigers have denied these claims.

While no evidence of mistreatment of the big cats was found, the wildlife department did find that the temple was keeping 38 hornbills and other protected birds illegally.

Many temples in Thailand are home to stray dogs, but tigers are not the norm. Concerns were raised when photos of the monks riding the tigers and engaging in horseplay surfaced. But according to Cherdchai Jariyapanya, director of the Department of Wildlife, the tigers are living in healthy conditions and they are well taken care of.

The tigers did have microchips embedded into them, so the wildlife department will be notified each time a new cub is born. The chips also contain pertinent information about the tiger’s lineage and its medical history.

The results of Thursday’s inspection will be given to the director-general of the department, who will decide if the Thai government will intervene and take care of the tigers. If the government does take care of the tigers, it is estimated that it will cost about 20 million baht per year for care. A new facility will also need to be built to house the tigers.

-- 2015-02-12

[cumgranosalum]

the "Teflon Temple" lives to mislead the public yet another day (decade?)

Edited February 13, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Hmmm I wonder if any other wildlife agency in the world would agree with that? I guess keeping these poor beautiful cats doped up so much is not considered mistreatment in Thailand.

[cumgranosalum]

Hmmm I wonder if any other wildlife agency in the world would agree with that? I guess keeping these poor beautiful cats doped up so much is not considered mistreatment in Thailand.

I get your point but doping is not really the issue here - there are much greater and OBVIOUS concerns about the place .

Doping is just a red-herring

[cumgranosalum]

_{I would love to know who EXACTLY these people were who inspected the temple - and perhaps more importantly i'd like to see the report they made....so very ,very quickly.....}

[cumgranosalum]

This is an extract for a piece i'm writing entitled.. "The Tiger Temple, Kanchanaburi, Why Thailand needs to take action NOW."

The OP's article does not address the issues that conservationists have about the temple. "mistreatment" is not an easily defined term. One immediately thinks of cruelty in the form of violence and underfed animals - the the temple is a "showcase" it relies on a good image to present to the punters....... but it is BENEATH all this that the problems start and a much more shrouded form of abuse seems to be going on.....

A previous court ruling took over the temple, but there was nowhere to put the tigers. So the temple kept on going.....

The figures for running the place seem to have be picked out of a hat.....

As I understand it, The temple originally purchased two cubs - presumably from the poachers who had orphaned them?

Starting from only 2 or 3 - the temple now has over 100 tigers that they have allowed to breed apparently without any records or aim - just let them breed as they please - there is now no record of which animal has bred with which. This is a a genetic and therefore ecological nightmare.

Breeding - We have no way of knowing if these animals are interbred or hybrids - the regional sub-species is "Panthera tigris corbetti - The Indochinese tiger, or “Corbett’s tiger,” - see Pantera - http://www.panthera.org/node/59

Housing - Of the hundred tigers precisely how many are let out for the "benefit" of the public is undisclosed. the remainder appear to be kept in cages...

It has been established that the conditions the tigers are kept in is not up to international standards - the cages are not big enough for long term and there is nothing to stimulate the tigers or any place where they can hide from other tigers - this is essential as tigers, unlike lions are by nature/instinct, solitary animals.

Diet - It has also been established that the diet which is allegedly just boiled chicken - is not suitable for an apex predator - to get all the right nutrients the animals have to be fed raw recently killed meat....apart for their health this affects things like teeth and general behaviour.

Appearances can be deceptive - The lack of a proper diet, the general lack of appropriate stimulation and real exercise means that in general the tigers may LOOK healthy but are likely to be under-exercised over fed on the wrong stuff, and potentially suffering from psychological problems/disorders.

This sort of thing cannot be established by a 3 hour "check up" - it needs a through investigation into the practices of the temple.

Solution - The solution is NOT simply to shut the place down.......

Firstly the management needs to be replaced.

They can then make immediate reviews into how the animals are kept; the daily routines, the diet and interaction with the public - which in all probability could be stopped right away.

Once they have taken over than decisions can be made about the tigers and the other animals there.

Re-housing is probably the best option for most but they need to be housed in appropriate places - ....

All this is incredible expensive.

The Thai authorities have shown they are either unwilling or incapable of grasping the nettle themselves - so I's suggest this is handled by and international wildlife org and funding be provided by the government and topped up by international funds and of course the temple who started this mess in the first place.

i think it is fair to assume that the temple has shown they have little or no respect for the international laws governing endangered species, even though the Thai government has been a willing signatory to many or most of them.

At home there are few regulations covering the treatment of wildlife which is a shame that Thailand has to bear......

Wildlife in Thailand - Next month is the deadline for Thailand to present their case for regulating the ivory trade within its borders - having already been reprimanded by CITES - if their effects are deemed unsatisfactory, then CITES has the authority to impose sanctions - this is likely to affect all animal and plant products that Thailand exports - this amounts to trillions of baht per annum.

It seems that Thailand at present is trying to have its cake and eat it too.....they want to be a respectable member of the international community but time and again fail to live up to the international standards tat they themselves have signed up to........

[Jai Dee]

Please desist with the petty bickering.

[ubonjoe]

Several post that are just Bickering between 2 members have been removed. Time to end it.