DNP, temple achieve an agreement on tigers

[Lite Beer]

DNP, temple achieve an agreement on tigers
THE NATION

Kanchanaburi: -- AFTER what began as a big showdown, the Tiger Temple in Kancha-naburi and wildlife officials finally found middle ground yesterday by agreeing that the 146 tigers would be kept in the temple compound but would be seen as state assets.

Each tiger will be registered and electronically tagged.

However, the agreement between Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) does not include the Asian white-chested bear and hornbills - both endangered and protected species. The department will still proceed with taking action over the charge of possessing protected species against the temple.

In a joint statement yesterday, the temple and its foundation are required to ensure there is no cross-breeding of Bengal tigers as per DNP regulations. The two sides have also agreed that the search for three missing tigers will continue.

An agreement has also been made on three conditions: The offspring of all tigers will be registered and considered state assets; they can't be exploited for commercial purposes; and registration and micro-chipping of all tigers will be made mandatory.

Deputy DNP director-general Adisorn Nuchdamrong said the department did not mean to snatch away the tigers as it did a few weeks ago. "We just wanted to do the right thing according to law," he said, adding that the temple should apply for a licence for operating a zoo and should hire adequate staff to provide care for the tigers. He said it should also control the tiger population.

DNP officials and temple staff did a headcount of the tigers yesterday, with the animals divided in groups of four and tied to a tree to allow officials to scan their microchips.

Provincial Governor Wanchai O-sukhonthip said the bears and the hornbills would not be moved away from the temple, as part of the agreement, but did not refer to DNP's plan to proceed with action in this regard.

General Niphat Thonglek, an adviser to the National Legislative Assembly on wildlife and environment protection, who mediated talks between the two sides, said he welcomed the development.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/DNP-temple-achieve-an-agreement-on-tigers-30258745.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-15

[BSJ]

Another case of 'Amazing Thailand!'

[Strangebrew]

I hope the cross breeding the monks understand that part no tiger tat for you guys.

[halloween]

I thought it would be "You take the skin and i'll take the meat."

[clockman]

Only in Thailand! Buddhists finest.

[torpedo1970]

Amazing Thailand!

TIT

[slapout]

the dept of parks whose job it is to conserve, protect care for, etc wildlife seems to be a ''toothless tiger'' when it comes down to action that they promised/threathened.

afraid to make the hard decisions and take action that is needed. the temples/monks are treated just like the children, give them what they want so they dont make a fuss, spoiled as are many we see/encounter.

[zaphod reborn]

If commercial exploitation of the tigers is prohibited, the temple is already violating that prohibition. Many temples are now commercial venues run for the benefit of the few.

[EyesWideOpen]

Haha the word agreement in Thailand means either money has traded hands,

or favors from powerful people were called in. What appears to be needed is

a boycott of this place as the government clearly has no spine to control it.

Love that phrase, "still hunting for three missing tigers"........ Guess they

will have to fly up to China !!

[klauskunkel]

temple 1, government 0

you wanna mess with monks, huh? gotta train some more.

Edited April 25, 2015 by klauskunkel

[ChrisY1]

Soft c**ks all of them............although, it would appear that a profit sharing scheme has now been reached..........

I will continue my offensive to Tripadvisor and other travel sites recommending tourists avoid these types of places!

[Suffinator]

FARCE!

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

"they can't be exploited for commercial purposes"????

So it will be free for people to come and view the tigers now? I doubt it.

I would wager that if they were mandated to stop charging people to come see these tigers that the monks would beg the government to come take them away.

All just a disgusting cash grab by greedy scumbags hiding behind a religion that teaches to not covet worldly possessions.

Sounds like some politicians will be getting a piece of the action now.

Poor animals.

[HerbalEd]

So, the DNP completely caves in and things ostensibly go back to the way they were.

[Lite Beer]

Temple Tiger row ends with all tigers allowed to stay but with conditions

BANGKOK: -- Row over the evacuation of tigers at the Tiger Temple was temporarily resolved after the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNA) agreed with conditions to allow the temple to keep the tigers.

Conditions include that the temple must not use the tigers for commercial purposes, and inbreeding among the tiger population is prohibited as this is a main reason that cause health problems of the tigers.

The agreement was reached after the department’s team of officials who included veterinarians went to Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua or commonly known as Tiger Temple to remove all its tiger population to new homes in Ratchaburi.

However when officials arrived at the temple Friday morning, they softened the tough stance from planned removal to counting the tigers instead to make sure how many are actually in the temple sanctuary.

A DNA official said they came to conduct head counts to see whether the numbers match what they have or not, or are the same tigers in the DNA records.

He said the department had been told there should be 146 tigers at the temple.

When asked whether the department would consider seizing the animals, he said the department had that idea but in actions so far it has not reached that process yet.

Earlier there had been confused figures of the current tiger population Some report said the temple has 147 while other said 146, with three missing. Another missing was said to have died.

But these remained a mystery.

The alleged missing tigers cast doubt on speculation among animal right protection groups and the department that wildlife trafficking might be involved.

A department’s veterinarian who used to take care and implant micro chips in these tigers earlier came out to indicate suspected wildlife trade when video footages showed pickup truck leaving the temple at night before news report would emerge that three tigers went missing.

During yesterday’s inspection, the team brought micro chip readers to identify tigers in the temple if the information matched with those the department had in its record.

While veterinarians from Mahidol Hospital scanned the DNA personnel are also cross checking the tiger’s characteristics against catalogued photographs to check its markings and ensure that it is indeed the same animal on record.

Head of the DNP’s wildlife breeding division director Mr Naret Chombun stated that they have not yet been able to verify that all tigers within the temple are the same animals as some of these big cats were agitated and could not be checked.

Authorities plan to also collect DNA and fur samples to add to the tiger catalogue as well as verify their species.

There is also additional fear that the years of inbreeding within this facility has resulted in unhealthy tigers.

“The last time we took stock of the tigers here was in 1999 and again in 2001. The small gene pool which resulted in inbreeding have now affected the health of the tigers here and there is no possibility of using them for breeding to repopulate the wild tigers,” he said.

According to the temple authorities, there are currently 146 tigers on its grounds where a total of 97 were embedded with microchips and registered as well as catalogued by the DNP.

The temple also claims that the additional 49 tigers which include the three tigers suspected to have gone missing were also been embedded with microchips.

However as these were younger animals, they have not been registered with the DNP.

As to local animal-rights groups accusing the temple of failing to properly look after the tigers, Mr Naret said that they are convinced that the tigers here are well cared for by the monks and temple staff here love these creatures.

In February, wildlife officials said they conducted a raid and discovered dozens of hornbills, jackals and Asian bears that were being kept at the sanctuary without the correct permits.

Meanwhile a senior monk of the temple Phra Mana Dhevadhammo said the temple is a protected zone for animals and they have a right to be here.

“The abbot has approved the caring and shelter of these tigers. We do not sell any of these tigers nor do we deal in illegal wild life trafficking,” the monk said yesterday.

After yesterday’s meeting the temple has agreed to follow all of the DNP’s proposed procedures in order to keep these tigers in the temple.

This includes having members of the DNP be part of the caretaking team of the tigers and also verified that they would no longer allow these animals to breed.

“The tigers here should not be allowed to breed. The small gene pool within the temple has resulted in unhealthy, sickly animals. The temple has promised to make their best attempt to prevent this however we need to be diligent and keep a close eye on this facility.” said Mr Adisorn Nuchdumrong, the DNP’s deputy director-general.

Authorities have so far managed to scan and check 70 tigers yesterday and will taking the information gathered here to compare with the DNP’s database.

At this stage it is yet to be determined whether any tigers in the temple have actually gone missing.

However the DNP is confident that the checks should be complete within 3-5 days.

It should be noted that the checks being conducted have been fairly smooth as the temple is cooperating with authorities and have come to an agreement that the monks will be able to continue to care for not just the tigers but the other wild life that have ended up here.

The temple must not collect fees from tourists visiting the temple or for any other commercial purposes

The DNP will however now be a more active participant for the care of all wild life within the temple. This is to ensure that the wildlife here, not just the tigers, are healthy, live within hygienic enclosures and have an overall good quality of life.

The DNP will also keep a close eye on the number of animals within the temple to ensure that there is no illegal trafficking, the DNA official added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/temple-tiger-row-ends-with-all-tigers-allowed-to-stay-but-with-conditions

-- Thai PBS 2015-04-25

[LennyW]

Kind of inevitable , dont think the DNP fully thought this through at the outset, i mean......what are you going to do with 146 tigers?

[tingtongfarang]

Conditions include that the temple must not use the tigers for commercial purposes,

To abide by this condition they would have to stop charging entry fees.

[butch333]

inblievable , just make noise and they obtein everything they want . the only rule here is make money , with everythink , no respect for

[catterwell]

Kind of inevitable , dont think the DNP fully thought this through at the outset, i mean......what are you going to do with 146 tigers?

Assign them to the Counter Corruption Commission?

[BuckBee]

absolute farce & usual Thailand stupidity & inability to enforce anything .

[steven100]

Weak as piss ....

[angiolo]

Pssst want some ground tiger bone. make you big man. The chinese have some strange nonsensical beliefs . Rino horn .Bits of ground gorilla. Anything else.

[janetdoe]

Paper Tiger

[Rogergreybeard]

I'll say it again crooks investigating crooks

[Sooo Upto Me]

So once again the authorities back down to these so called Buddhist corrupt monks.

And they will continue to make money from these poor animals.

[retarius]

If commercial exploitation of the tigers is prohibited, the temple is already violating that prohibition. Many temples are now commercial venues run for the benefit of the few.

I went to Tiger Temple and was not asked for any money at all, although I was expecting to have to pay an entrance fee etc. There was nobody at all soliciting donations. Even the boys who took the photos with my camera didn't ask for anything. So I don;t understand your comment.

[Fairynuff]

I'd never visit such a vile place, but I heard that this is one the country's most expensive attractions charging 800 entry and 500/photo. As I said, never been so can't verify

[Keesters]

... i mean......what are you going to do with 146 tigers?

Keep them where they are and throw the monks out.

[Keesters]

If commercial exploitation of the tigers is prohibited, the temple is already violating that prohibition. Many temples are now commercial venues run for the benefit of the few.

I went to Tiger Temple and was not asked for any money at all, although I was expecting to have to pay an entrance fee etc. There was nobody at all soliciting donations. Even the boys who took the photos with my camera didn't ask for anything. So I don;t understand your comment.

And I know people who went 2 or 3 months ago who were charged entrance and constantly pestered for donations.

So I don;t understand your comment.

[Benmart]

I thought temples were for people and zoos were for animals. I don't support caging or exhibiting animals and the "higher species", in this instance, seems keen on keeping a money making enterprise going.