The discovery of Tiger parts and cub carcasses at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi has shocked the world, and it begs the question as to why the temple had been able to abuse the protected animals for so long. For decades, Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua (Tiger Temple) had been a popular tourist spot where visitors could watch the big cats roaming around the temple. But when wildlife authorities moved in on Monday and began relocating more than 100 Tigers, they made a series of chilling discoveries throughout the week.
The first was the 40 dead Tiger cubs founds in a freezer — the heart-rending pictures of their helpless and lifeless bodies spread around the world within hours. More was to come: on following days a further 30 dead cubs were found in jars of formaldehyde, while the pelts of two adults and more than 1,000 talismans made from Tiger parts were seized. The carcasses of other wild animals, it should not be forgotten, were also found. The discovery raises serious questions about why the authorities involved had allowed the temple to run such a dubious business for decades. Even after the previous raid at the Tiger Temple last year, the illegal possession of protected species continued. At the time, the authorities arrested only a low-ranking layman worker, who was accused of receiving protected wild animals as donations. The authorities let the management and the abbot off the hook because they did not have sufficient evidence to file charges Last week’s raid, however, makes it virtually impossible for temple management to distance themselves from the operation. Animal rights groups had long accused the temple of breeding Tigers for sale on the black market. But such calls did not receive much attention from the authorities until last week. The authorities now have to ensure the Tigers from the temple are sent to proper animal shelter facilities and do not fall into the hands of another smuggling ring. Tigers are in high demand. Some people, under the impression that consuming wild animals boosts masculine strength, have medicine made of Tiger parts to improve their virility. The illegal possession of undomesticated animals at the temple should have been stopped a long time ago. However, under the guise of a charitable mission, the temple has over the years received and raised a number of Tigers, even though for most of that time it did not have the proper license required to operate as a zoo.
The Tiger Temple was able to continue its dubious operation for many years because, as has often been the case, law enforcement was lax. Officials turned a blind eye to the illegal practice. It is quite the mystery how trucks and vehicles carrying animals and carcasses managed to travel around unnoticed by officials. The cages full of rare, predatory animals inside the temple failed to raise suspicion as to why they were being raised there instead of a proper zoo. Part of the problem is that the layperson’s reluctance to step into matters involving clerics often means a lack of supervision. As people tend to associate the possession of wildlife with superstition, the Tiger Temple seemed to exploit such beliefs by producing talismans from bones, skin and organs which are supposed to represent the afterlife.
After last week, there can be no argument against reforming the temple. Repeated efforts to shut down the Tiger Temple were previously delayed and complicated by the fact secular Thai authorities were hesitant to intervene in the affairs of the clergy. Some officials did not feel comfortable enforcing the law because they faced resistance from surrounding villagers who argued that the temple had saved hesitant to intervene in the affairs of the clergy. Some officials did not feel comfortable enforcing the law because they faced resistance from surrounding villagers who argued that the temple had saved the Tigers.
Buddhist temples are governed by the Supreme Sangha Council. However, as a series of scandals have shown, the centralized understaffed governing body could not effectively enforce the regulations. Meanwhile, people should be educated and informed that it is illegal to trade protected animals. Thailand is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Wildlife should stay in the wild. Otherwise, endangered species should be in zoos. Trade in wild animals only encourages poaching and pushes vulnerable species to the brink of extinction. After the Tiger Temple raid, wildlife authorities must continue their efforts to suppress the smuggling and trafficking of wild animals otherwise it will only continue in a new location and under a different guise. If there is a bright side to come of last week, hopefully the Tiger Temple raid will come to show that no one is above the law. But given how many years the temple was able to get away with it, there is a long way to go before wild animals in Thailand can be considered safe.
From an article in the Bangkok Post.
We can ALL do something REALLY positive by NOT visiting any so-called ‘attraction’ that abuses or exploits animal wherever it may be in the world. Please share to raise awareness. To receives updates and news by email please add your details in the right-hand column. Let’s ALL make animal abuse HISTORY. Thank You
PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE 
What a travesty. We must understand that religious sects, clerics etc are never above the law. history has show us over and over that religion has led some of the most catastrophic wars and degradation s to humans. Why would animals be any different? Prosecute all of them
LikeLike
Wildlife in Thailand is constantly under threat from the illegal trades. Thailand does finally have a rudimentary ‘Animal Welfare’ Law to protect its domestic animals but it doesn’t go far enough to help animals in dire conditions. Most people in the West are unaware that once wild animals are brought into the tourism industry, they fall into the ‘domestic’ category. Elephants in particular, once they have ‘domestic’ papers, are generally worked to death to entertain the constant stream of ignorant tourists. The Tiger temple also gained much of its supposed ‘viability’ as a wildlife sanctuary from unsuspecting tourists wishing to see a tiger up close!
I wonder how many ‘innocent’ tourists realise that they provide the ‘legal’ front to many tourism business’s using the tourism industry to hide a much darker business of trading animal parts in the illegal world of reducing our wildlife populations to aphrodisiacs, Chinese medicine, and obscene trinkets for wealthy elites with no concern for the environment? How many people know that the people operating these trades are often using the vast profits to fund terrorism, anarchy and genocide in the world?
There are lessons to be learned here for the public in general. Any wild animal, by definition, does not want to be petted by anything….least of all by a human. If there are situations where wild animal interactions can be had, one must ask if it is in the animal’s best interest, or your own? If you are interacting for selfish reasons whilst causing stress or unnatural behaviour for the animal, then you, as the tourist, are as responsible for that animal’s cruel and tortured existence as anyone!
All tourists should visit the website right-tourism.com to determine where they can have wildlife experiences whilst doing the least harm to any animal, wherever they may visit in the world.
It is only by boycotting the cruel animal tourism trades, that they will stop! While tourists continue to pay to watch orangutans boxing, dolphin and whale shows, bears riding bicycles or elephants giving rides, there will be cruel handlers willing to torture these poor animals into performances for ‘human pleasure’ and personal gains!
LikeLike