Tiger 'unintentionally' mauled abbot at controversial Thai temple: doctor

[cumgranosalum]

You can relax. The tiger has been shifted to an inactive post.

......or "chained' to an inactive post?

[mrfill]

Clearly a Burmese Tiger. Thai tigers would never do anything like that.

[Manbing]

Name and shame every stupid tourist that frequents this place. Close it down now and stick the abbot in jail. One can dream.

Its not exactly a Tijuana Donkey show?

Vistors probably expect to visit semi tame Tigers.

I have enjoyed all the funnies here but I also agree with one poster who said 'If the tiger wanted to kill the monk, the monk would be dead'

The tiger just expressed some concern to the monk in the only way it knows how. This is why they are such dangerous animals. They shouldn't be pets or kept like this. It doesn't take a fortune teller to predict this will not be the last incident.

[DM07]

You don't understand Thai(ger)ness!

[cumgranosalum]

Name and shame every stupid tourist that frequents this place. Close it down now and stick the abbot in jail. One can dream.

Its not exactly a Tijuana Donkey show?

Vistors probably expect to visit semi tame Tigers.

I have enjoyed all the funnies here but I also agree with one poster who said 'If the tiger wanted to kill the monk, the monk would be dead'

The tiger just expressed some concern to the monk in the only way it knows how. This is why they are such dangerous animals. They shouldn't be pets or kept like this. It doesn't take a fortune teller to predict this will not be the last incident.

"The tiger just expressed some concern to the monk in the only way it knows how" - beware of anthropomorphising an animal........a lot of tiger behaviour is very unpredictable - this is why in the 19th & 20th centuries shows tended to prefer lions as they are less dangerous and more manageable....

trying to interpret the tiger's actions is not productive - the fact that even when not being overtly aggressive, a tiger has a huge amount of strength and very sharp claws. The claws are normally retracted but if thew animal stretches it's legs out the claws "automatically" come out of their sheaths - they ca be 4 inches long........it doesn't necessarily require the animal to be aggressive as such but merely in the correct position.

[Praematura]

I'd love to know what the Tigers intent was, maybe a high five instead of being mailed?

[soalbundy]

Wow he's Clairvoyant with tigers.

No, it came out during the interrogation, ''i'm a Tiger, would i lie''?

[Yunla]

I'm glad that they finally got round to interviewing the tiger, allowing it to Open Up and Share, and discussing its motivations. The results of the interview were translated into human for the piece in the OP, at no expense spared.

But the original interview could possibly be translated differently.

"So how do you feel about the monks?"

"They're GRRReat!"

[JAG]

This is another version of a "Thai misunderstanding".

A "Thai -ger misunderstanding" surely.

Must go - taxi is waiting...

[Artisi]

You can relax. The tiger has been shifted to an inactive post.

Should keep the thousand's of Thai police, military and civil servants already at their inactive posts on their toes.

[smedly]

come on all you cat lovers out there, haven't you ever had your pet feline accidently scratch you

[cumgranosalum]

come on all you cat lovers out there, haven't you ever had your pet feline accidently scratch you

....not a 300kg feline!

[8OA8]

Ordinaraly, I would agree with the other posters but, really, it wouldn't take much for 660 pound creature with enourmous strength, razzor sharp claws and teeth to end any humans existance, nevermind a 66 year old abbot's. It more than likely it was an accident or at the very least, a mildly miffed Tiger that just wanted to be left alone. If the Tiger wanted him dead, he's be dead.

You normally just agree with the other posters? A product of rote learning perhaps?

[Artisi]

There is far too much speculation in this forum. Why don't we just wait for the tiger to make a written statement. It's easy for it to say it was an accident, but I'd insist on it putting it in writing

Correct, the police have already invited the tiger to the police station at its convenience, but have indicated "no need to rush if you have any other important business to attend to, and you can retain your passport as we don't consider you to be a flight risk" and "please give us at least a 3 days notice before your visit as we certainly don't want to inconvenience you by not having an interpreter available".

[mikiea]

Oh spare us all the lies please.

ok.... exactly who is telling a lie , the monk or the tiger ? enquiring minds need to know .

[Thaddeus]

Has the tiger apologized to the abbot then?

unintentionally< what does that mean? how do they know what the tigers intention was? did they ask him?

They did, but the tigers answer shone a bad light on Thailand, so it couldn't be printed.

[rametindallas]

There is far too much speculation in this forum. Why don't we just wait for the tiger to make a written statement. It's easy for it to say it was an accident, but I'd insist on it putting it in writing

I'm waiting for the reenactment if front of news cameras with some policemen pointing their fingers at the offender. They will, appropriately, use a dummy to represent the Abbot.

[eggers]

They're simply protecting the Tiger from action by Human Rights activists, who would no doubt claim, the Tiger was guilty of abusing the monk!

[FangFerang]

Everyone seems to be missing the point. Abbots just taste better than tourists.

And tigers love captivity. They told me.

Article 44 seems to be the "whatever I decide to fix and screw the rest of it" Article.

[Lupatria]

the tiger pounced on its owner

seizing the tigers and putting them on show.

I would like to hear the vindication of Mr. Abbot how ownership of a wild animal and running a show for monetary reason is compatible with the teachings of Buddha, especially the paragraph containing the recommendation for monks to practice Bathism.

However, it seems Buddhism is nothing but a business here anyway. He would probably use the same legitimation for running a shooting range at a temple.

[happy Joe]

A tiger that mauled the abbot of a Thai temple under fire over the welfare of dozens of big cats in its care "didn't intend to attack him", said the monk's doctor, who is also a noted tiger expert (who knew the tiger's intention at the time even though he had never met the tiger or even witnessed the attack), Sahathep Sawarngnet, The multi-talented doctor/tiger psychologist is also the hospital's director.

There, fixed it for you. (I thought I read a news story saying the monks say the injury is from falling down stairs)

How many more attacks before they ban tourists from direct interaction with tigers?

But of course it is !

We must steer, legislate, regulate and ultimately prohibit, prohibit, prohibit ... Your proposal is so much powerful that you probably swallowed some substance for such an explosion of genius.

Hats off sir.

[jobwolf]

Has the tiger apologized to the abbot then?

This cat will kill very soon. As soon as a big cat has tasted human blood it looses all

fear and will attack on the slightest provocation.

This Tiger needs to be removed from public contact immediately. If the monks have

death wishes it is their own decision.

The truth be told, all tigers should be removed from the temple.

It is a miracle nobody got killed before.

[chuang]

Must be a QUACK...

[cumgranosalum]

Has the tiger apologized to the abbot then?

This cat will kill very soon. As soon as a big cat has tasted human blood it looses all

fear and will attack on the slightest provocation.

This Tiger needs to be removed from public contact immediately. If the monks have

death wishes it is their own decision.

The truth be told, all tigers should be removed from the temple.

It is a miracle nobody got killed before.

I think I read the reference for this....was it the "Boys Own Book of Tigers" - pub 1923 - Major Guntotington-Smythe?

or was it the Abbot himself who has remarkably similar theories on Tigers' diet

[Farang99]

The tiger was quoted as saying.

"This is all a big misunderstanding. The abbot and I go way back. He was the one who introduced to tranquilizers when I was having dreams about eating all those tourists, especially those yummy babies. And he also taught me how much better it was to have grab dead chickens off a stick thrust in my face while people laughed at me, then to stalk game in the forest and taste the hot meat and blood. Mmmm Hot meat - Screw it, where is that abbot I'll bite his face clear off this time. I'll kill all you skinny two legged freaks!!!"

This reminded me of the article on tigers in Will Cuppy's very funny book "How to tell your friends from the apes".

On the subject of tigers he says something like (from memory)

"Normal tigers do not eat people. If eaten by a tiger you may rest assured it was abnormal"

[connda]

Tiger = Alpha predator

Monk = food

Now let's think about this.....

[RedNIvar]

I hope he does not suffer too much from the broken tooth. If emergency dental care not administered immediately he could probably suffer for the rest of his days.

[realenglish1]

Yup always an accident IT happened as well to the team in Vegas when the Tiger accidentally sent one of the guys to hospital and recuperation for 3 years.

Yes that was also an accident and the tiger did not want to tear his throat out .

Common people These are tigers This is what they know its who they are . They are not pussy cats

[mikemac]

Has the tiger apologized to the abbot then?

unintentionally< what does that mean? how do they know what the tigers intention was? did they ask him?

........................"Tiger 'unintentionally' mauled abbot at controversial Thai temple: doctor"...........................

OK, I think I know what happened here, the tiger was "acting out" a mauling to a group of tourists and the Monk accidentally "stumbled" into the unknowing tiger. It's all very simple when you think about it, and my version has a lot less bs than the one in the op.

[cumgranosalum]

Tiger = Alpha predator

Monk = food

Now let's think about this.....

s VERY rare for a tiger to consider a human as food - they do of course see humans as a threat, an intruder or something to be avoided.