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Update on Thailand's Tiger Temple
vinlyn
Colorado...for now Veteran
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/799953-thai-wildlife-officials-tiger-temple-not-abusing-tigers/
I know there was a thread on this, but I can't find it. So, here is an update that purports to clear the Tiger Temple. Of course, knowing Thailand, it may be a case of money speaks.
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At least the 'authorities' as it were came forward to check them out. I noticed that this article did not mention what @Karasti's linked article said about the temple selling tiger cubs as 'pets'. That was a serious point, and it wasn't addressed. But good on them, for what it's worth, to have been audited and the tigers found to be OK.
I'm confused myself as to whether or not it's in the tigers' best interests to be so close to humans and 'tamed' and whatnot. I just won't do it myself, the geese would never forgive me.
This is not a natural life for a tiger, so many of them in such crowded conditions. If a zoo tried this it would be slammed across the world by animal rights lovers. Also, tigers like lions breed all the time in captivity, and unless they have spayed or neutered most of those cats, then there is a big question about what the temple is doing with the extra ones. China has a thriving black market in tiger products.
More than that, while the temple might have started off with tigers donated after being caught elsewhere, it has now become a breeding zoo. The population is tame because they are born and hand raised there, like circus animals. There's nothing magical about the ability of a monk to play with a tiger in this case. These tigers are so used to people that they can't be released now.
The last question is, how on earth is the temple paying for the expensive business of giving a huge amount of top predators their daily fresh meat in that country? They certainly aren't doing it off donations by visitors. No zoo in the world can fund themselves off nothing but admission tkts.
No, there is something wrong here. This is a temple that has been turned into a petting zoo for profit.
I agree, @Cinorjer. If they had the well-being of the tigers in mind they would be treating them as a rehab facility would, not allowing that kind of human contact and allowing them to be released into the wild.
It doesn't seem like they are spayed/neutered, since at the bottom of the article it says something about having implanted a chip that will allow authorities to know when a cub is born. Though, from what I hear about Thai "authorities" I'm not so sure they wouldn't sell the cubs themselves.
I think there is a lot more to investigate here. Many more questions to ask that haven't been asked and there certainly is no transparency as far as the so-called inspection. Also, obviously since the vet said they aren't drugged, that means it's true!
Money is fluent in all languages and needs no interpretation...
Hee. Not just money. That causes me to remember when I was bumming around Korea with a young native man who had become my friend. His English wasn't the best and I knew almost no Korean, but we could eventually understand each other if we worked at it. I took him along with me on my trips, where he knew I wanted to meet and see the real Buddhist temples and monks, not the tourist attractions with their guided tours.
I met some wonderful monks and got to spend some quality time meditating in the small temples and shrines that dotted the landscape. They ushered me in the back door and made me feel at home. And what did it take, on the advice of my friend? I carried around a backpack full of American cigarettes and Kentucky whiskey, acquired cheaply from the Air Force base I worked at. And no, I didn't mind or inquire about what the monks were going to do with my gifts. None of my business. Maybe they were going to sell it, or have a good time later. I just enjoyed their hospitality and they didn't inquire why an American was so set on sitting in meditation and listening to the Heart Sutra being chanted in a language I didn't understand.
An animal rights activist, Turner Barr, volunteered for a couple of weeks at this place and video'd scenes of animals being beaten, bears in cages, the site of the new Vatican-like temple that's planned. The mature tigers appear very sluggish in the photo-ops so perhaps the rumors of the monks drugging the animals are not just rumors.
My feeling is this place is a religious-themed SeaWorld, exploiting not just tigers but many other animals to raise money. Being a Buddhist organization doesn't make it OK. Animal workers, be they rescuers, farmers, breeders, or pet owners, should be like Caesar's wife - above reproach.
There are only about 2500 tigers left in the wild. This temple says it has long-range plans to breed tigers to be returned to the wild. That's an ambitious goal that would take more than a few veterinarians, volunteers, and enclosures to accomplish. One wonders if it is just lip service.
Thank you @Nele, for the extra information.
Rehabbing animals to return to the wild is a huge undertaking. It requires a lot of training, a lot of understanding, and virtually no human-animal bonding and handling. It takes SO much work to return a deer, bear, or even a bird (they might be the most difficult, actually) to the wild, I cannot fathom what it takes for a cat that has a high level of intelligence.
That they use the tigers as a means of income bothers me. It is well understood in the rehabbing community that you do not use animals to take pictures with tourists and so on. Habituating them to the point they are tame around any and all people makes them entirely unreleasable. They would not survive. It is also very rare to captive breed animals and then return them to the wild. Captive bred animals are usually used in education programs.
Of course, I am taking what I know of the US system (I work with a rehabber in my area) and applying it to a culture that does not share the same view, so, that doesn't work very well, lol. But in any case, if they hope to truly release tigers into the wild they have A LOT of work to do.
Saying they are planning a "Vatican-like temple" is a gross exaggeration, @Nele, although I think much of the rest of your post is pretty much on target.
I also think that @Karasti has made a very good point: "Of course, I am taking what I know of the US system...and applying it to a culture that does not share the same view, so, that doesn't work very well...." There's PLENTY to criticize in Thailand -- including this temple, but at the same time I have no desire for it to become another America or another Great Britain. And while I don't approve of what they are doing, I also don't want to (essentially) say: "Look you Thais, we Westerners always know better because we are smarter than you."