Tiger Petting Zoo?!?!?!

The Tiger Temple or Wat Pha Luang At Bua is a Theravada Buddhist temple in Thailand and has been a sanctuary for many endangered animals including several tigers that walk around freely once a day and can be petted by tourists. The temple received several tiger cubs where the mothers had been killed by poachers. As of 2007, over 21 cubs have been born at the temple and the total number of tigers is about 12 adult tigers and 4 cubs.

The tigers are tamed by being fed with cooked meat to avoid giving them a taste for blood. The staff keep the tigers under control and the abbot will intervene if the tiger gets agitated. They are treated as family members in the temple and visitors are asked to give a donation if they want to take photos with the tigers.
This looks like a great adventure. You always see or hear about people swimming with dolphins & I have swam with the sting Rays before and recently I put up a post about swimming with 1000's of jelly fish but would you rub the belly of a jungle tiger. I think I would but not with Siegfried and Roy.

23 comments:

Anonymous

Please make informed comments-

Tiger Temple- Illegal Wildlife Trafficking, Animal Cruelty and Tourist Safety Risks

Please read the report supported by conservationists around the world

http://www.careforthewild.com/news.asp?detail=true&I_ID=578§ion=Latest+News

Download report here:
http://www.careforthewild.com/projects.asp?detail=true&I_ID=580&mypage=Reports


National Geographic News, 20 June 2008
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080620-tiger-temple.html

The Straits Times on June 21, 2008.
http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080623-72311.html


Video footage on YouTube:

Tiger Temple/ Animal Cruelty -1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qENTMsbJ3jw

Tiger Temple/ Animal Cruelty, Moving with Force- 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41izUzo25u4

Tiger Temple/ Aggressive Tigers - 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpLFmE9LReA

Tiger Temple/ Injured Tiger- 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEZhHo-ESXE

Tiger Temple/ Restrained for Photo-taking- 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G0GhDwMrFw

Tiger Temple/ Visitor Safety Risks- 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCg0Lpwbt3w

Tiger Temple/ Enclosures- 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTxOzbL7uqs

Anonymous

Oh, wow, I never knew such a place existed. There is a big cat rescue sanctuary about a mile from where I used to live, but nobody would dream of trying to get close to the tigers there.

Claire

Dear friends,

With regards to the Tiger Temple, you may be interested to hear that, after carrying out undercover research in the temple and additional investigation, British wildlife charity, Care for the Wild International (CWI) has now released its upsetting report.

There are significant welfare issues, as well as false claims of conservation, ILLEGAL TRADING and human safety concerns.

Please visit the following link to read it: http://www.careforthewild.com/news.asp?detail=true&I_ID=578§ion=Latest+News

Not only is the temple housing the animals in poor confined conditions (for 20-21 hours per day to be precise) and harassing them through beatings and spraying of urine into their faces but also they have been involved in illegal trading of their older tigers to a tiger farm in Laos.

We are contacting people on the internet to request that they cease promoting Tiger Temple as a place that tourists should visit on their holidays. We are also contacting people who have written general blogs about the Temple. People view these blogs and want to go visit the tigers for themselves, however this sadly meant that the tigers will continue to be systematically abused and traded there. We are also contacting tour operators and the like.

Please feel free to email me with your comments or questions on this matter.

Best wishes

Care for the Wild International (CWI)

Eric Gamble

This is all great data to know...I personally dont want to support organizations that hurt or harm animals...I am keeping this posting up so that people can read what the anonymous person read and of course what claire has also posted.

Thanks for letting us know whats really going on there. Perhaps one day we will find a sanctuary where we can safely interact with these magnificent beasts while not endangering them.

~eric the Travel Beggar

Jurgen Huibers

Tigers should be living in the wild and not be used for this. Such beautiful animals deserve better...

Anonymous

Maybe you should update your post on the basis of this information?

But wow! How awesome would it be to hug a tiger. Ahh well. Guess I'll never go there though.

Anonymous

The frist pic is so cute. But I wouldn´t be able to decide whether to pet a the tiger or to fell into that beatiful girls lap and to be pet:D

Melissa

When I went to Africa on honeymoon we went to a lion reserve. It was so great to see the lions. Im sure your experience was great, the tigers are huge. I just found a new travel site - baraaza.com.

ghenessa

wow I'd love to go there I want to hug the tigers

the dafthermits (Mel n andy and wee clan)

really wonderful blog shall pop back often

andy

Love to Travel

This is cool..Is there any entrance charge to see the temple?

Anonymous

wow, did you felt scare?

Kurniadi Bulhani

ok nice blog..have you try to visiting indonesia,soryy my language bad...im indonesia. there many thing you can found at indonesia.nice to know you....go to my english blog ok .... or you wanna try indonesian languages with me.with pleasure...........

Enrique

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Aron@hotels in hawaii

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Miss Bangkok Hotels

Tigers are very poor. I thought they are no freedom and this is only benefit on travelism business between temple with foreigner business group not a charity as they made the positive image

Anonymous

I want to pet a tiger. I would go there if I ever went to thailand. They look happy in the pictures. How many people can say they pet a tiger!

Akum

Amazing Pics. I have heard about the cruel treatment of the tigers there. Its so sad.

Las Vegas Clubs

Wow,
thanks to those who are maintaining such a sanctuary. And I must say the images are really daring and nice.

Thanks
TC

Anonymous

This is so amazing I really want to be you and to have the chance to hug such a big cat ;) I can't believe that you a cuddle a tigers and they to be so pleased about this, Your blog is great :)

Regards holiday apartment london

chino

your blog is very entertaining, please continue sharing great stories to the world. Kudos!

maria ruud

Im going to Thailand in Three weeks and while I would have absolutely loved to touch a tiger- my favourite animal. I would NEVER Even dream of exploiting those wonderfull animals for the benefit of a Cool picture! I Shake my head over some of your comments. This. Is. Not. Cool! Im glad I font know of anyone whos doen this because i would no longer concider Them my friends.

Shame on you.

maria ruud

This is disgusting.

Shame on you all for wanting to exploit such gorgeous animals!

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