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For the volunteers at Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno, or the 'Tiger Temple' as it is more commonly referred, the possibility of the cats being taken away is an upsetting thought.
For those coming from overseas to spend months and even years with the animals in this temple in Kanchanaburi province, the possibility is particularly distressing. Some of the longest serving volunteers have cared for tigers since birth and are concerned that any future facility the tigers are moved to will not provide them with the same enrichment and level of care that they currently receive.
The government's threat to confiscate the tigers comes as a result of the growing criticism that the temple has received from animal welfare organisations and international media. Earlier this year, five tigers were confiscated by Government Wildlife officials who cited that the facility lacked the proper permits to house the endangered animals. The officials have since threatened to remove the remaining 146 cats in the near future.
The Tiger Temple has become a magnet for foreign tourists who hope to get up close and engage with these endangered animals. For 600 baht, visitors can walk, feed and pet the animals. The temple has then become one of the main attractions in the country.
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Tiger temple’ gets zoo licence
THE WORLD FAMOUS and highly controversial “Tiger temple” has now won a licence to operate a zoo, which will be developed with a budget of Bt120 million.
The temple, known as Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno, is in a remote part of Kanchanaburi province but has come under the spotlight in recent years because of its sizeable tiger population.
The temple maintains that wild tigers have sought sanctuary in its compound and reproduced at the site, while critics point out that the temple is not a zoo and has no facilities to properly handle animals.
Last year, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) demanded the temple hand over its 147 tigers to authorities because it lacked permits to keep them.
Pol Colonel Supitpong Phakjarung, vice chair of the Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno Foundation and managing director of |Tiger Temple Company Ltd, said yesterday DNP chief Thanya Netithammakun had agreed to the company's request for a zoo licence last Tuesday.
"We will construct facilities for the zoo over 25 rai [four hectares] of land. Construction should be completed in six months," he said.
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