Animal Advocates Watchdog

Buddhist Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi is nothing but a sordid theme park *PIC*

So much stupidity... so many people can look at animals in zoos and not get it... so many people think that some religions are superior to others. For the sake of the animal, wake up! Buddhists and Natives are not spiritually superior to anyone, no matter what the sales pitches say!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The infamous Thailand Tiger Temple is located at Kanchanaburi, a couple of hours drive from Bangkok. It is very popular with visitors to Thailand and many people end up visiting either directly or as part of a combination tour. Some visitors actually make the trip to Thailand specifically to visit the Tiger Temple!

Many people are thrilled by the prospect of close contact with a big cat and so having a photograph taken next to a large tiger is an opportunity which few fail to miss. Such visits are generally short and the cocktail of emotions generated by adrenaline, exotic location and new experiences tends to cloud judgement as to what is really happening here. People will usually read and believe the first story they see in print and the Tiger Temple is a fairy story. A fabrication.

The whole junked up story has not been helped by the likes of 'Animal Planet' which, whilst making good television dresses the whole bad practice as something wonderful.

The Tiger Temple gets a lot of 'good' press because the people doing the reporting are actually ignorant of what they are reporting about. They ramble on about conservation and breeding programmes without understanding either. It is actually difficult to be critical of what is going on without being seen to be somehow criticising some Buddhist principle. Most Thai people would not dare to speak out as this would be to offend a monk or the abbot. The temple is not popular with all Buddhists who see it as not in line with Theravada principles.

The Temple claims to have consulted with experts in Tigers and invited them to give advise and educate the staff. Why is it that not one of these 'experts' is prepared to stand up and be counted.

The Tiger Temple has its own web site. It is even more commercial than most commercial web sites. This Temple, or the 'Foundation' behind it are after money and nothing else. There is no real care or concern or even understanding of the animals they keep. One wonders about the 'Foundation' and who they consist of. I believe a clue may be found in the links from the Tiger Temple web site. Not unexpectedly one finds that Sri Racha Tiger Zoo is there, the so called 'DolphinSanctuary' too and the Million Year Stone Park. Animal exploiters all. Consider that up to a thousand or so tourists visit the temple each afternoon. Without even considering how much each one pays to get into the temple area there is the fifty or so US Dollars for a photograph with a tiger. Big money is being made here. It IS commercial.

The origins of the tigers at the temple as told appears a probable story. The first animals, cubs, were rescue animals which were reared by monks within the temple. The intention had been to release them back to the wild once mature. The story is only partially true however. A few cubs were rescued but others were actually purchased from an animal dealer. Very quickly someone realised that visitors to the temple were thrilled to be close to the tigers and prepared to pay for the pleasure. So there on started the exploitation of the tigers. Commercial greed took the place of a fictional story of charitable care. The Tigers had to stay.

Whatever the story it never really was a realistic option to release hand reared humanised tigers back into the wild but it makes a very nice story for that gullible element of the press.

The worst news of all was that in mid August 2009 that the Tiger Temple was granted permission to become a zoo. See: Tiger Temple becomes a Zoo. There is a certain element who is delighted about this change in status. It makes a mockery of the fact that previously the Tiger Temple claimed to be a Sanctuary. It is all in a name though. Wild animals in captivity.

That such a consideration should be even thought about let alone actually granted defies common sense.

There is perhaps a notion that tigers have been kept at the temple for hundreds of years, that it is a long established protocol. Nothing could be further from the truth. The first tiger cub to arrive was in 1999...just ten years ago.

Messages In This Thread

Buddhist Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi is nothing but a sordid theme park *PIC*
Buddhist liars and animal abusers exposed on CBC radio's "In the Field" *LINK*

Share