Jan 22, 2016
Thailand’s Famous Tiger Temple Has Been Accused Of Supplying Big Cats To The Black Market
"The tiger you once took a selfie with one day could end up dead and smuggled across the border the next." With these chilling words, Sharon Guynup of the National Geographic Channel exposes the truth of the big cats of Thailand's Tiger Temple.
However, a video investigation done by National Geographic shows how the staff of the temple were involved in trafficking tigers illegally. The Buddhist monastery has been smuggling tigers to farms in the Laos since 2004 under the guidance of its leader Abbot Phra Acham Phoosit (Chan) Kanthithar.
In an internal letter it was said that the Thai
authorities will relocate the tigers to its own wildlife facilities with
the help of Royal Thai Police who will take over the investigation
within the next few weeks.
"The impact of illegal
trading from a captive facility like the Tiger Temple extends far
beyond the lives and welfare of these 147 tigers. Captive tigers leaked
into the illegal trade from any source feed a growing demand for luxury
tiger products, including tiger skins and tiger bone wine. That demand
places the lives of every one of the world’s last 3,200 wild tigers in
danger," Guynup explained in a letter to National Geographic Traveller India.
As
tiger expert Judy Mills notes at the end of our video, "This is not
just about a single Buddhist temple in Thailand. This is about the fate
of wild tigers."
***
The shocking moment sanctuary worker PUNCHES tiger in the face at famous Thai temple
- More than 100 tigers are housed at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple
- In this footage, one male worker drags tiger around, then lands right hook
- Four tigers are filmed being posed for tourists, with chains around necks
This shocking video shows the moment a tiger is punched in the face by a worker at a popular animal sanctuary in Thailand.
More
than 100 tigers are housed at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple, and
only last year Wildlife protection officers carried out a three-hour
inspection, after allegations of mistreatment.
No evidence was discovered at that time at the site just outside Bangkok.
Scroll down for video
Scroll down for video
This still from the footage taken at
the famous Thai tiger temple shows the moment one of the workers punches
a tiger in the head
The man was filmed dragging the big cat around, and trying to turn it over to face the tourists
Four tigers, who had chains around their necks, were put on show for tourists to pose with and take photos of
However this footage that has been shared on Facebook shows a male keeper dragging and then delivering a right-hand punch into the face of the big cat.
The
video begins by showing four relatively docile tigers with chains
wrapped around their necks put on show for groups of tourists.
One of
the workers is then filmed dragging one of the big cats before
delivering a fierce right hook into the side of the tiger's head. The man then walks to the front of the tiger and acts as though nothing has happened.
After
sharing the footage on social media, Pranay Dalmia writes: 'I visited
Tiger Temple Thailand a few days ago. It was really depressing to see
the tigers being treated poorly. 'I saw some of the tigers being dragged by the tail and one of the tigers being punched in the face.'
Last year the temple was threatened with closure after it was discovered many of the animals there didn't have a permit
It's very much a show for the tourists, as workers dance around and move the big cats into the right positions
Commenting
on the video, Toey Dee says: 'Boycott tiger temple Thailand. This is
not a way to treat the tigers. Tiger should be in the wild.'
And Jennifer Jennings adds: 'You say it's a sanctuary, I'm sorry it's hell. You should be ashamed.'
Interestingly,
the person who runs the Facebook account for the temple replied back on
the video posting, saying: 'I will be taking this to the management as
we discussed on the day and hopefully this sort of behaviour will be
stopped completely.
'Thank you for your help in this.'
Last year the temple was threatened with closure after it was discovered many of the animals there didn't have a permit.
Workers
were told at the time that their 147 tigers must be handed over to the
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
The
investigation was launched following multiple complaints of trafficking
endangered species, illegally selling animals and possible mistreatment
of the animals.
However, that threat has not been followed up and the temple continues to market as a tourist stop-off.
The man pulls and drags the tiger at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple
The video begins by showing four relatively docile tigers with chains wrapped around their necks
In
February last year around 50 officials from the wildlife department and
local religious affairs office, as well as soldiers, inspected the
premises of the popular attraction after allegations that the animals
were being drugged.
The so-called 'Tiger Temple' is famous for its tame-looking big cats which live alongside Buddhist monks.
The
monks and the veterinarian who takes care of the animals denied
allegations of drugging the creatures to keep them tame, and no evidence
was discovered.
The temple began keeping tigers in 2001 when it agreed to take care of seven Bengal tigers seized in a wildlife bust nearby.
It now houses 143 tigers and cubs.
Temples
are traditional sanctuaries for stray dogs, but the presence of the
tigers raised concerns after photographs emerged showing monks riding
the animals.
Buddhist
monks are supposed to act modestly in all aspects of their lives - but
they still come out to play with the animals in what has come to be a
show for visitors.
Tourists
happily pet the tigers and pose for close-up photos with them, while
their donations help pay for the tigers' maintenance and improvements to
the temple.
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