Officials brace for transfer of temple tigers
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- ALL 146 TIGERS currently at Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua in Saiyok district in Kanchanaburi will be moved to Khaoson and Khao Pratabchang wildlife breeding centres in Ratchaburi, a top official said yesterday.

Nipon Chotiban, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conserva-tion (DNP) yesterday visited the breeding centre to make sure that cages and other facilities were ready for the tigers.

However, Nipon was unable to predict if the impending transfer would spark the kind of protest witnessed at the temple three days ago.

Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, known as the "Tiger Temple", was rocked by a 24-hour stand-off between 200 monks, novices, local residents, and more than 600 local officials who tried to relocate six Asian black bears to a new sanctuary in Chon Buri.

"We have to map out a careful plan before executing the relocation of the wildlife,'' he said.

The centres would have adequate tiger specialists, veterinarians and handlers to take care of the tigers. Eventually, some tigers native to the area would be released to the wild.

"This will depend on the species. Most of the tigers at Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua are Bengal tigers, not local breeds. So we must take care of them till they die," he said.

Some of the tigers would be donated to zoos with licences to breed wildlife.

This will help reduce the financial burden on the state for the upkeep of the tigers, each of which costs about Bt7,000 a month to feed and take care of.

He said the tigers would be transferred after Songkran.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Officials-brace-for-transfer-of-temple-tigers-30257512.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-07

Really? yeah give the monks time to hide them better yet don't feed the tigers then lock monks and tigers together bet the monks beg you to take them.

Strange Buddhists, but T.I.T.

I have a feeling they won't find 146 tigers after Songkran.

About time they closed down this farce. Maybe poaching of elephants in the wild will be the next thing they go after? We can only pray.

Congrats to the officials for taking action. Hope it all works out OK.

Really? yeah give the monks time to hide them better yet don't feed the tigers then lock monks and tigers together bet the monks beg you to take them.

Hide them?

Aren't these the same monks and same temple investigated for illegal buying and selling of these animals?

More of a chance they will try to take a few out before to sell fast before they lose all of them.

It has been a shame this temple has been allowed for so long to keep these animals out for tourists pleasures and for the temples profit. It is understandable why the locals and monks blocked the removal of the bears and I figure it will be a lot worse when the police try to remove the tigers. The locals and temple is going to lose a great source of income and money gets people to move mountains. These tigers have been supporting everyone involved for a long time.

The blocked for 6 bears....what do you think they will do for a herd of tigers which by the way their main source of income?

About time they closed down this farce. Maybe poaching of elephants in the wild will be the next thing they go after? We can only pray.

Congrats to the officials for taking action. Hope it all works out OK.

Butthey haven't actually taken any action - merely said they are going to after Songkran - which gives the temple plenty of time to prepare to deal with the attempt.

A lot of unanswered questions here!!

Why the sudden interest in the animals welfare?? There must be a(not reported) hidden agenda.

And most importantly:

Will the tigers actually get a better life in the cages they are transferred to??

>>This will help reduce the financial burden on the state for the upkeep of the tigers, each of which costs about Bt7,000 a month to feed and take care of.<<Quote

146x7000x12, That is more than 12 million a year!!

Takes a lot of donations from the sheeps to keep the show on the road.

Those guys are not monks, but gangsters wearing saffron...............

taking the golden geese away from the monks? This should be interesting. I thought monks were meant to live a life with no possessions and not care about monetary wealth? Let's see how this plays out? My guess is they will not be too happy and will, at the very least, stage a large protest or that many of the tigers will go missing. Bloody hypocrites!!! Just goes to show the perversion and lies behind all religion, the root of all evil.

Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, known as the "Tiger Temple"

soon to be known as the "Empty Temple"

A lot of unanswered questions here!!

Why the sudden interest in the animals welfare?? There must be a(not reported) hidden agenda.

And most importantly:

Will the tigers actually get a better life in the cages they are transferred to??

Who knows all the details behind this, but it's been an issue for years. And surely lots of money has been passed around to allow this activity to happen. Reports have been published about tigers being brought in illegally, bred illegally, sold illegally, etc. Just too much money involved.

Maybe the new government is really taking this stuff seriously? I know there were some issues with CITES not long ago.

As for a better life in cages? They are already in cages and probably being drugged to be with tourists. Many of whom do get bitten. If nothing else, it will keep future ones from this horrible experience. And take some corruption money off the table.

When one is a criminal, how easy it is to put on a saffrane robe and hide

behind buddhism to continue with criminal activities

May be a very large can of worms has to be opened here.

Priority #1 of which we already have a few.

out of the frying pan into the fire......

"Some of the tigers would be donated to zoos with licences to breed wildlife.: - I doubt it as there doesn't seem any verifiable records of these animals' genetic history, they may be inbred or hybrids and so totally useless for breeding....they are no more than glorified puppets

A lot of unanswered questions here!!

Why the sudden interest in the animals welfare?? There must be a(not reported) hidden agenda.

And most importantly:

Will the tigers actually get a better life in the cages they are transferred to??

Who knows all the details behind this, but it's been an issue for years. And surely lots of money has been passed around to allow this activity to happen. Reports have been published about tigers being brought in illegally, bred illegally, sold illegally, etc. Just too much money involved.

Maybe the new government is really taking this stuff seriously? I know there were some issues with CITES not long ago.

As for a better life in cages? They are already in cages and probably being drugged to be with tourists. Many of whom do get bitten. If nothing else, it will keep future ones from this horrible experience. And take some corruption money off the table.

I would have thought that those who "spoke" for the temple no longer have the ears of those in power and this is largely a political event

Good news that they might be closing this place down. But they should be occupying the premises to protect the animals until the transfers take place. And be arresting all the monks.

Are there insufficient good monks at this Temple? Must we assume they are all in league with some Chinese body parts brokers?

Surely even ONE?

A lot of unanswered questions here!!

Why the sudden interest in the animals welfare?? There must be a(not reported) hidden agenda.

And most importantly:

Will the tigers actually get a better life in the cages they are transferred to??

Who knows all the details behind this, but it's been an issue for years. And surely lots of money has been passed around to allow this activity to happen. Reports have been published about tigers being brought in illegally, bred illegally, sold illegally, etc. Just too much money involved.

Maybe the new government is really taking this stuff seriously? I know there were some issues with CITES not long ago.

As for a better life in cages? They are already in cages and probably being drugged to be with tourists. Many of whom do get bitten. If nothing else, it will keep future ones from this horrible experience. And take some corruption money off the table.

I would have thought that those who "spoke" for the temple no longer have the ears of those in power and this is largely a political event

I get tired of this line from the reds.. whatever happens its always political.

Laws have been broken.. the junta is just better at going after these kind of things as previous governments. You see it all over the board.. going after Forrest encroaching going after this that.. and all the time the reds come out its political.

Just be happy that something is finally done.

>>This will help reduce the financial burden on the state for the upkeep of the tigers, each of which costs about Bt7,000 a month to feed and take care of.<<Quote

146x7000x12, That is more than 12 million a year!!

Takes a lot of donations from the sheeps to keep the show on the road.

Those guys are not monks, but gangsters wearing saffron...............

They charge 1000 THB to have the photo-op up close and personal with the tiger, and the tourists line up for it every day. 7000 per month is the pocket change left in the bottom of the jar.

A lot of unanswered questions here!!

Why the sudden interest in the animals welfare?? There must be a(not reported) hidden agenda.

And most importantly:

Will the tigers actually get a better life in the cages they are transferred to??

Who knows all the details behind this, but it's been an issue for years. And surely lots of money has been passed around to allow this activity to happen. Reports have been published about tigers being brought in illegally, bred illegally, sold illegally, etc. Just too much money involved.

Maybe the new government is really taking this stuff seriously? I know there were some issues with CITES not long ago.

As for a better life in cages? They are already in cages and probably being drugged to be with tourists. Many of whom do get bitten. If nothing else, it will keep future ones from this horrible experience. And take some corruption money off the table.

I would have thought that those who "spoke" for the temple no longer have the ears of those in power and this is largely a political event

I get tired of this line from the reds.. whatever happens its always political.

Laws have been broken.. the junta is just better at going after these kind of things as previous governments. You see it all over the board.. going after Forrest encroaching going after this that.. and all the time the reds come out its political.

Just be happy that something is finally done.

"I get tired of this line from the reds.. whatever happens its always political." - Surely a startling example of a combination of ignorance of the situation and a naivety towards Thai politics that is quite breathtaking?

"Reds" eh? wasn't that the call of the US in the 50s? "reds under the beds" -

Are there insufficient good monks at this Temple? Must we assume they are all in league with some Chinese body parts brokers?

Surely even ONE?

well, apparently the vet had had enough.....even though he is linked to a company that sells tours of the temple......

I have a feeling they won't find 146 tigers after Songkran.

"Officials brace for transfer of temple tigers" to an exclusive Chinese medicine shop chain, which has promised to bring the merits of tiger conservation to the full attention of its clients.

I have a feeling they won't find 146 tigers after Songkran.

"Officials brace for transfer of temple tigers" to an exclusive Chinese medicine shop chain, which has promised to bring the merits of tiger conservation to the full attention of its clients.

Is anyone counting these "hilarious" and original jokes about tigers ending up in CTM outlets/restaurants etc. that continue to amaze and delight us so much?

My calculation is that this is number4,356....... when we get to 5000 there should be a prize........ Suggestion: - you get to spend the day in a cage with the tiger of your choice - you will of course get a fork and spoon to defend yourself or consume the animal if the opportunity presents itself.

These 200 monks deserve a good thrashing, then booted out of the priesthood. They can walk the walk early in the morning to collect food and donations, but are unable to feed those cats! They sure don't practice what they preach. I've lost all respect for Monks. Bunch of phony hypocrites.

Flimsy law enforcement as usual. A disgrace.

Flimsy law enforcement as usual. A disgrace.

Yes quite pathetic.

This mafia hiding behind orange robes should of been rounded up & caged straight away but in la la land money talks so slowly slowly catch the tiger :-/

Same show just different clowns :-/

Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, known as the "Tiger Temple"

soon to be known as the "Empty Temple"

Somehow I do not see them monks taking too kindly to getting up early and walking the streets with their bows like other monks do...

I think beating up monks isn't a very good plan....there is enough aggravation already...the monks will lose face and so will those who supported the temple.....IF and it's a big if this operation goes of smoothly and to the benefit of the tigers.

As far as I'm aware there is no way anyone can monitor what will happen to the various tigers as they aren't properly identified yet.....so one hopes that they will all have DNA samples taken and then other independent bodies will be able to monitor their fate.

this is a highly delicate situation and I hope the authorities have the appropriate "kid gloves" to handle it with.

Flimsy law enforcement as usual. A disgrace.

Yes quite pathetic.

This mafia hiding behind orange robes should of been rounded up & caged straight away but in la la land money talks so slowly slowly catch the tiger :-/

Same show just different clowns :-/

The problem is, they are all praying to the same God!!