Yet Another Tiger Attack

Yet Another Tiger Attack

On the 7th July a visitor to the Wat Or Noi Temple in Nakorn Pathom, Thailand was attacked and severely injured on the arm and hand.

The temple currently has five tigers and has been keeping these since 2003. The Abbot claims that the animals were legally acquired and are registered with the Wildlife authorities. It is likely that the tigers were acquired from either the 'other' Tiger Temple or the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo which over breeds their inbred Tiger hybrids to a degree of extreme concern.

There are a number of Temples in Thailand which seek to imitate the unglorious success of the main Tiger Temple. Claiming to offer sanctuary these operations actually have no place in Buddhism and are merely fronts to rake in money and offer cheap (and sometimes not so cheap) thrills to gullible tourists.

The Abbot of the temple, Luang Pu Dharma Issara, has stated that the Temple will foot the bill for any medical treatment required.

Zoos in Thailand breed Tigers in large numbers and there is a huge question mark as to where the animals disappear to. Most every collection which does breed will hand rear to offer ignorant tourists to opportunity to bottle feed the cubs or pose with chained (and sometimes drugged) adult tigers.

The most popular facility at present is not a Temple, but the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. So successful have they been at duping the public that they are shortly opening a satellite facility in Phuket in the south of Thailand.

All Tigers in Thai collections are meant to be registered with the authorities and each is meant to be micro-chipped for identification purposes. Although this was started some years back it is extremely doubtful whether it is continuing. There is no check on what is happening to the animals. Some years ago Sri Racha supplied a huge number of tigers to Sanya Greatest World of Love in China.

Some zoos in the West also offer Tiger posing sessions or 'walk with tigers' and so unwittingly and in some cases uncaringly promote these nasty Thai 'experiences'. Big cats are not for playing with. They are always an accident waiting to happen.

This attack by a captive tiger is the 4th verified incident since May 2013. There were others earlier in the year.


The others were:

May

June

July

The Trade In Zoo Tigers In Thailand

Today the Bangkok Post published an excellent article on the Tiger Trade in Private Zoos in Thailand. Read the entire article below and click on the link to view the photos accompanying the article. Thank you Bangkok Post but I hope you continue your investigation because it does not go far enough. You have exposed some of the loopholes now lets stop them up. With all of these loopholes exposed I cannot believe the statement "Following the large seizure of tiger meat and carcasses in early February, National Parks Department officials and police inspected private zoos in Chon Buri, including the Million Years Stone Park, Pattaya Crocodile Farm and Si Racha Tiger Zoo. The latter had been accused before of involvement in the illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts. However, said Mr Theerapat, his department was able to account for all tigers there." His department was able to account for all the tigers there....HOW? These places are churning Tigers out. Sri Racha had over 400 Tigers last time I visited four years ago. They must be breeding AT LEAST fifty cubs a year because they always have cubs for bottle feeding. I saw around 40 cubs on my visit...one day in a year. They openly admitted to breeding 'a lot'. I reckon that there should be in the region of 6-800 animals there now. Where are they going? Come on now get real here. A database was meant to have been set up to monitor Tigers after Sri Racha illegally exported those 100 tigers to China a few years back....to the same place that is now importing all the Rhinoceros. All these Tiger Farms are breeding tigers. There are not enough zoos for them to supply. The authorities must be totally blind if they cannot see what is going on.

Is it because they are frightened to implicate Sri Racha because of Royal connections? I have the greatest respect for the Thai Royal Family and admire the King and the Princess immensely but just because Sri Racha hangs a few photographs of various Royal personages feeding Tiger cubs should not give this evil place credibility. The same applies for the awful and infamous Tiger Temple which are another cruel establishment shipping animals out the back door. Holy monks? These guys and their cohorts are giving Buddhism a bad name. (Punch A Tiger On The Head, Pull Its Tail! )

None of these tigers is worth a dime. They are all inbred and are likely to be subspecific hybrids and are valueless to conservation.

There was considerable input to the Bangkok Posts article by the owner of the Chiang Mai Tiger Zoo. Sorry....but just as bad as the rest.

Are zoos cashing in on tiger trade?

Privately owned wildlife parks have long been implicated in the illegal sale of endangered animals and animal parts, but the lack of a DNA database and difficulty in collecting information means there is little clear evidence to confirm the suspicions
Trade and trafficking in tigers and tiger parts in Thailand drew international attention following the seizure of 400kg of tiger meat and carcasses in Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district earlier this month. It's remained a thorny issue in Thailand despite global efforts to save the animals from extinction.


All five remaining tiger subspecies are considered seriously endangered and three subspecies have vanished in the last 60 years. In addition to human encroachment into their habitats, this is also driven by a demand for tiger parts which are believed by some to bring health and vitality.


In Thailand, despite protective measures the poaching of wild tigers in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries continues, and more seizures of tigers and tiger parts _ believed to be mostly from tigers bred in captivity _ indicate that consumer demand is growing.


There has been no substantial evidence proving the involvement of private zoos and wildlife parks in Thailand in supplying tigers and tiger parts to the black market, but suspicions remain because of the large sums of money to be made in the trade and the high costs of running these operations. Private zoos are legal in Thailand under the 1992 Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act and are allowed to possess wildlife species listed as preserved and protected under the act. There are currently 15 preserved species and 1,302 protected species recognised under Thai law.


Operators of private zoos must first obtain a zoo licence (Sor Por 21) and also a temporary permit to possess wildlife species (Sor Por 2) from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. Of the 40 licensed private zoos in the country, 21 raise and breed tigers.


The 1992 act strictly outlaws trade in tigers or tiger parts, and moreover, tigers are protected by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits international trade in protected animals, animal parts and derivatives for commercial purposes.


This means that the private zoos cannot buy or sell tigers or other restricted animals to each other or to anyone else. Private zoo owners usually say their animals were in their possession before the restrictions were in place or are the offspring of such animals. Transfers of animals between licensed private zoos are also allowed with approval from the National Parks Department, but this is a complicated process.


As the number of private zoos has grown, the National Parks Department has tightened the regulations for issuing new licences for the zoos, and concerned government agencies have also stepped up suppression efforts against smugglers.


Last year, government officials rescued two leopard cubs (which are also protected) at a place that had been designated for a new private zoo in Chaiyaphum province. The owner had not yet obtained a licence from the National Parks Department. Earlier, two adult leopards were seized at the same location. The owner could not provide any documents to show where he obtained the animals. According to a National Parks Department official, the leopards were taken from the Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani province. The department withdrew the owner's application for a licence to set up a zoo.


National Parks Department deputy director-general Theerapat Prayoonsit said that his department cannot prohibit anyone from applying for a licence to set up a private zoo. However, he added, the department closely monitors the population of tigers in each zoo to ensure that they are not sold to traders.


At present, 888 tigers from 21 private zoos are registered with the department, which is also responsible for recording the identity of each tiger. Si Racha Tiger Zoo in Chon Buri is the largest operation of this type in the country, holding about 400 tigers.


Noting that the law does not limit the number of animals a zoo may keep, Mr Theerapat said, ''What we can do is ask for cooperation from the zoos to limit their tiger populations and give them good care.''


However, he added, the zoo owners may ''fiddle with'' the number of tigers. ''For example, if four cubs are born, they report only two. So they can sell the other two cubs or raise them in another place,'' he said. ''If anything happens to these tigers we cannot trace them back to the zoo.''


Pol Col Kiatipong Khaosam-ang, deputy commander the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NED), agreed that this is a big problem. ''This is the easiest method used in promoting the illegal tiger trade,'' he said.


''When a tiger dies, the [private] zoo will not report to the authorities as required. It is sold in the black market, and a new tiger is brought to the zoo.''


DNA DATABASE NEEDED


Following the large seizure of tiger meat and carcasses in early February, National Parks Department officials and police inspected private zoos in Chon Buri, including the Million Years Stone Park, Pattaya Crocodile Farm and Si Racha Tiger Zoo. The latter had been accused before of involvement in the illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts. However, said Mr Theerapat, his department was able to account for all tigers there.


Chuwit Pitakpornpallop, owner of the Trakarn Tiger Zoo in Ubon Ratchathani province, said that domestic licensed and regulated tiger zoos are always the first place authorities look to make arrests or seize live tigers whenever this type of case surfaces. But he said that licensed private zoos are always open for inspection from authorities, and added that National Parks Department regional officials regularly inspect his zoo every two or three months, along with police from the NED.


The inspection covers all kinds of preserved and protected wild animals in the zoo, he said. ''They will check the animals' microchips, take photos of each animal and check its documents, and look at records of births and deaths. They also take DNA samples,'' said Mr Chuwit.


However Kanita Ouitavon, a senior scientist at the department's Wildlife Forensic Science Unit, said the National Parks Department does not have DNA samples from private zoos.


There is a plan to start a DNA database in the near future, an initiative Ms Kanita fully supports. Such a database would make it much easier for the department to fulfil its mandate to keep track of all protected animals in the possession of private zoos. This issue was at the forefront of Interpol's ''Third Meeting of the Wildlife Crime Working Group'' in Bangkok from Feb 13-17. The group endorsed DNA testing as a way to stamp out trade in wild meat by tracing the origins of seized meat. At the meeting, assistant national police chief Chalermkiat Sirworakan said, ''We need the help of forensic medicine in the suppression of wildlife crimes,'' and added that DNA testing and establishing a relevant database was not a complicated procedure. He suggested that the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry fund the programme.


Meanwhile, Mr Chuwit said authorities should be looking elsewhere than at private zoos, and challenged them to inspect big livestock farms, especially those along the borders, where he says tigers are illegally bred and traded in the black market.


''For instance, a big cattle farm in Kanchanaburi province and an unlicensed tiger farm in Saraburi province breed and slaughter tigers for sale,'' he said.


Another significant source of trafficked tigers is farms in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Myanmar, said Mr Chuwit.


''Tigers are transported through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to China. The tigers and tiger parts which are often seized in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces are from farms along the borders inside neighbouring countries,'' he said.


Mr Theerapat agreed that many tigers seized in recent years have been smuggled from neighbouring countries.


During the past few years smuggled tigers and other wildlife have been found in trucks carrying fruits and other goods from the South. The drivers have told authorities that they were to deliver them at Talad Thai market in Rangsit, on the outskirts of Bangkok. Mr Theerapat said the market has huge cold storage warehouses.


Pol Colonel Kiatipong Khaosam-ang, NED deputy commander, said Thai authorities can and do seek cooperation from government agencies in neighbouring countries, but added that it is also necessary to strictly control the domestic facilities because some of them supply tigers for illegal breeding and slaughter.


Mr Chuwit admitted that in spite of regulations requiring private zoo operators to inform authorities of births and deaths, some domestic tiger zoos do not report the actual figures. He blamed it on the ''time-consuming process'' of obtaining legal transfer permits which allow private zoos to exchange animals. These are granted only in rare cases.


''In some cases, a private zoo urgently wants tiger cubs for show to attract customers. Under such circumstances, unregistered tiger cubs can be easily transferred to licensed zoos,'' he said. However, this doesn't happen very often because most zoos can easily breed their own cubs.


Mr Chuwit said that another situation that encourages illegal trading among private zoos is the exchange of adult tigers to avoid problems from captive inbreeding and keep the animals genetically healthy. Tigers grow very fast and can mate when they reach three years old, he said, and because getting legal approval is usually a long process, some zoo owners buy unregistered cubs and register them as newborns at their zoos.


But he said that selling or trading unregistered cubs is ''not worth the risk''. If caught, the zoo must pay a heavy fine and may be closed down.


''And forget about an exchange of tigers with zoos in foreign countries. After problems occurred in the transfer of 100 tigers from Si Racha Tiger Zoo to China many years ago, the National Parks Department won't allow any private zoos to import or export tigers,'' said Mr Chuwit.


At present his operation has possession of 48 tigers at Trakarn Tiger Zoo and 54 at Tiger Kingdom, an offshoot zoo in Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district. Each year an average of 10-15 tiger cubs are born in captivity at the two zoos. With the increasing number of tigers he plans to supply two more private zoos in the near future, one in Phuket and one near Suvarnabhumi airport on Bang Na-Trat Road. He looks on this as a good business move that also solves the expensive problem of caring for too many tigers. Mr Chuwit said that private zoos facing financial problems often separate males and females, but each has its own way of dealing with the matter.


http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/281588/are-zoos-cashing-in-on-tiger-trade

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Tiger on the Menu

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Tiger on the Menu

Thai police recently raided a house in Bangkok and "seizure of tiger skins and carcasses and other protected wildlife from a major smuggler at a Bangkok home".

Sounds reasonable enough...they caught him. Note the use of the words 'Skins' and 'major smuggler'.

The report goes on to state: "An official from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) said the skinned tigers could have been obtained from one of the zoos. So, the inspection, when done, would reveal a head-count and other details of animals at all premises and likely evidence of any that had gone missing."

That is good news. It is years ago now that all zoos in Thailand were required to have their tigers microchipped. This was done specifically because of the illegal export of tigers from the infamous Sri Racha Tiger Zoo and should have prevented, but didn't Tigers going out of the back door of the cruel and exploitative Tiger Temple.

Not just Tigers here as the report also states "Tiger skins and carcasses along with meat from elephants, zebras and lions were found at the house". Bit worrying because there have been recent reports of elephants being killed for their meat in Thailand.

You can read this full story here: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120207-326300.html

The next report is headed: "Police suspect illegal tiger meat haul came from zoo"

It mentions "400kg of tiger meat" which suggests there was more than one animal here and goes on to state "the alleged tiger meat owner, Tananuwat Boonperm, alias Od Bang Kroui, kept records relating to the illegal wildlife trade."

and goes on to implicate with "The tiger zoo in Si Racha was linked to a previous case when 11 tiger carcasses were found in Nakhon Phanom in 2008.

People caught with the tiger meat at the time claimed it came from the Si Racha zoo. Investigators, however, could not prosecute the farm due to insufficient evidence, he said."

Are the investigators truly blind and ignorant to what is going on in Sri Racha Tiger Zoo? To me it is obvious. Somebody needs to pull their finger out.

Further to the above:
"The officer said the tiger population at the zoo was growing rapidly and the daily food bill was 2,000 baht."

2,000 baht!!!!!!! There was more than 400 tigers there on my last visit and they are churning cubs out because they need them for photography sessions. 2,000 baht is a good night out in Thailand!

I have asked the question before. Where are all these tigers going? I know. To make things worse Sri Racha is not alone. There are loads of other places producing tigers. These animals will easily live 20 years. There is not the space to house them all.

Read more on the above at: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/278582/police-suspect-illegal-tiger-meat-haul-came-from-zoo

Tiger Producers include:

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo

The Tiger Temple

Million Years Stone Park

Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm

Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai


There is a whole big mess needs sorting out here. Heads need to roll.

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Behind The Cloak of Buddha - Commercial Exploitation of Tigers

Behind the Cloak of Buddha is the true story about a group of captive tigers subjected to a lifetime of abuse and wildlife trade, and of a woman's fight to bring justice and peace to their lives. Set in the seemingly idyllic surrounds of a Thai Buddhist Temple, this landmark book lifts the lid on the hidden atrocities that species are subjected to for greed and confirms the enduring spirit of both human and animal.

To order the book or learn more please click HERE

This Tiger abuse is continuing today, the authorities turning a blind eye to what is really going on here.

 

Take a read of  The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Thailand

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Cathay Pacific is Promoting the Tiger Temple

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luisca/3607555938/

Just because an activity or a place is popular does not make it right. Bull fighting is popular in Spain, Cock Fighting is popular in the Philippines and the Tiger Temple is popular in Thailand. Cathay Pacific have started to just started to promote visits to the Tiger Temple in a package which includes visits to River Kwai. One wonders why such a reputable airline should not have checked out the facts first. Even the 'Lonely Planet' tour guide advises against visitin the tiger temple.

The advertising blurp in the Sri Lankan Times (http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110724/Plus/plus_12.html) makes the following statements:

Tigers roam where monks reside

Here the huge Bengal tigers breed, feed and even roam with human beings. Since its opening in 1994, Wat Pa Luangta Bua has gained a reputation as a wildlife sanctuary. It started with an injured jungle fowl being given to the monks by the villagers. Attracted by the calls of the by then rather large colony of jungle fowl, Peacocks too flocked to the area. An injured wild boar stumbled into the monastery and the monks cared for it until it could be released back into the forest.


With whom has it got a reputation as a wildlife sanctuary?

"Peacocks flocked to the area"...they flew from India I assume? Unless they mean Green Peafowl and I hardly think they flocked in from anywhere.


is believed to be home to the largest surviving tiger population in the region

Rubbish. Take a look at Sri Racha Tiger Zoo.... a collection with whom it has dealings.

It was an injured tiger that paved the way for this world's first tiger temple, way back in 1994. The tiger had made it to the nearby temple where the priests nursed its injuries and provided food for the animal to limp back to health. When the tiger recovered, the monks tried to release it to the wilds but it did not want to leave and it became a permanent resident there. One month later, another tiger joined it and formed a family.

More absolute rubbish from out of the realms of fairy tales.

And the fairy tale continues, either a complete fabrication or just skimming the perimeter of truth.



Read and learn the truth and more about the Evil Tiger Temple (follow the links and links within the articles)

Punch A Tiger On The Head, Pull Its Tail!



Tiger Temple 2010



The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Thailand

Tiger Temple Sues Conservationists - Please Give Support



Tiger Temple News - Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tiger Temple Update - November 2010 - Important


 
 
 
 
Zoo News Digest has asked reputable zoos around the world to put up a sign on their Tiger enclosures asking their customers not to visit the Tiger Temple should they visit Thailand. In spite of repeated requests we are unaware of any collection which has done so.

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Just What Is A Tiger Worth?

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Just What Is A Tiger Worth?

The trade in Tigers continues with shady deals done out of the back doors of the dysfunctional zoos.

Sri Racha Tiger Zoo has hundreds of Tigers and continues to breed them in large numbers. They are not alone. There is the Tiger Temple, Tiger Kingdom, Million Years Stone Park amongst many others.

There is NO contribution to conservation.

Just where are all the animals going? There is no mass die off, no tiger plague. These are not short lived animals. The numbers increase every year. They are not being released to the wild and there is only a limited number of zoos who need generic inbred tigers and most of these have them anyway.

Todays Bangkok Post (Monday 27th June 2011) presents these interesting figures in an article entitled 'Wildlife muggling trails go even deeper' by Wassayos Ngamkham.


A Tiger is worth 1,000.000 Thai Baht because all its parts can be used.

The skin itself can be worth hundreds of thousands of Thai Baht dependent on colour and size.

A Tiger penis will sell for between 30,000 and 50,000 Thai Baht.

Meat and Bones will fetch prices of 5,000 and 6,000 Thai Baht per kilo.

Cost of the blood is negotiable and is sometimes used in the preparation of Yaa Dong.

Teeth and claws are sold as separate items and used in the making of amulets.

Now it may seem that there is a large and obvious trade in Tiger parts in Thailand but there isn't. Tigers are slipping out the back door, leaving the country. Some years back there were plans to microchip every tiger in captivity in Thailand. It would be interesting to know just how many have been done up to now.

Note: At todays exchange rate you will get 30.9 Thai Baht for $1 and 49.4 Thai Baht for £1
Now you can work out just how much a tiger is worth.

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Tiger Temple Update - November 2010 - Important

Tiger Temple Update - November 2010

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/luisca/3607613474/

(The post below has been taken directly from Sybelle Foxcroft's post in Notes on cee4life you can read the full post on the Facebook page.)


Hi All

Firstly, I'd just like to thank CNN for the exposure of the Tiger Temple to the US and any one else around the world who was watching. Brilliant, and I thank this huge network for having the guts to bring this to a wide public audience.

At the same time that the CNN broadcast of the Tiger Temple abuse and Tony the Truckstop tiger went to air, something very disturbing unfolded inside the tiger temple.

To bring you up to date, the Tiger Temple is removing all foreign staff from hands on contact with the tigers. That means the care and handling of these tigers has taken a massive step backwards.

Although, when the foreign volunteers were hands on with the tigers, they were still only able to stop some of the abuses, particularly the physical abuse. Now there is no one to stop it. The Temple just employed another 5 thai staff workers to work directly with the tigers. These Thai workers are off the street and have had no animal experience in their lives, much like all of the staff.

So when they are employed in the temple, they are trained by 2 very nasty pieces of men who's only method of controlling a tiger is via a smash in the head, karate punches, kidney kicking, and other vicious actions. These have all been caught on film, and are up on YouTube along with other abuses, for your viewing pleasure........ :(

So the information for the world is up on the internet, its still just a matter of getting this out to the public.

But on the very night that the CNN exposure aired, in Thailand at the Tiger Temple, a Hollywood film crew entered the Tiger Temple. The long suffering Hernfa (tiger with his head yanked up and down all day everyday for tourist photos) Saifa (one of the last, ailing and in desperate need of veterinary aid, remaining original tigers) the young adults Mek & Payak (my Harnfa's sons) and the younger Sangton (female), were all hauled out of their cages to participate in the filming of the Scorpian King 3.......

I am in absolute shock that Hollywood used the Tiger Temple tigers... this is an absolute disaster. Hollywood would have paid the Temple quite a bit of money for this. Unbelievable....

Now if 1 Hollywood production company chose to use these horribly abused tigers, then there could be 2, then 3 etc etc....

The trucks drove in and set up massive flood lights and the tigers were pushed and prodded to 'act'. The problem is that they were not acting, the sight of the thick sticks that they are beaten with ensured that they would not misbehave too much. However, Hernfa (who is becoming defiant in his older years) objected to this, and was hit repeatedly, chastised, and the bloody tiger balm was all over him.

The next morning the tigers were counted and checked just in case any had disappeared, none had.

Now I know that these Hollywood people did not know about the abuse these creatures have endured. I know to us that know about it, it would seem like they would have to be living with their heads in the sand to have not heard about it, but still alot of people do not know.

So the Scorpian King 3, which is apparentently going straight to DVD, used some of the temple tigers. They paid for them, and they have inadvertantly contributed to the ongoing abuse of these creatures.

Now about the tigers.....

Sangtewan is not pregnant. They have been trying hard to get her pregnant again, however this time I think her body has given up. Her beaten and broken body is a mess. If she does not recieve any veterinary aid she will suffer and she will die.

Fakram - has given up on everything. He is isolated from the other tigers and is situated at a lonely end of tiger island. The reason for this, I can only think, is because he is not able to be handled at all and challenges everyone, he is a killer. He always was a killer, however in 2007 - mid 2009 he was a killer that still had a personality, now he has no personality, just a killer. It seems they are starving him to death as he is losing a massive amount of weight. The other tigers are being fed, however Fakram is rarely seen with any food.

It is not that the Temple doesnt have the money, it is just that Fakram has no use to them, he is forgotten. One of the senior TSW was overheard saying 'Fakram will be gone soon and we use the cage for other tiger'.

WTF are they up to.......

There are 84 tigers inside tiger island now, there are approximately 34 cages under tiger island. 4 cages cannot be used, and Mam Mam the Moon bear is in another cage.Now do the maths. 29 cages for 84 tigers, now grassed area, just cement and rusted bars.

Cee4life is trying very hard to keep an eye on all of the ailing tigers. I will put a list up of all of the ailing tigers soon, and some photographs.

Weya - is doomed. Dr Somchai refuses to provide the correct medication to end his unbearable haematoma.... this is tragic, angering.

Hernfa - his eyes are shaking and he is unable to focus. This is the same for 15 of the tigers. This has been brought to the attention of the Dr, but nothing is done. These ailments have now been going on for 5 months.... they will go on forever if this cant be stopped.

Nanfa - the tiger Nanfa has begun to just stop moving. Once Nan would walk around the cage, but now wont move most days. Something terrible has happened to Nan, I am trying to find out.

Rowie - the young male Rowie has also got serious eye problems, is unable to focus directly on anything.

Saidow - the young cub Saidow is one of many who is born cross eyed, however numerous tigers within the temple are suffering eye infections, disabilities of some kind or another.

These eye problems are multiplying. It is not just the older tigers, it is the young ones too. This could be a symptom of a number of things. In the older ones, the sudden shaking eyes could be neurological, a stroke maybe, maybe a head injury, a virus - it will be unknown until professional veterinary aid is given.

The young cubs being born with cross eyes - probably from inbreeding, also a symptom of a parent who has been drugged alot during pregnancy.

Whatever the case, they are still in dire need and........go to the cee4life to read more. It is important.

For even more on the Tiger Temple please read:

The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Thailand

And can I once again renew my appeal to the zoos of the world to put up a small sign on their Tiger enclosures advising tourists not to visit the Tiger Temple when they visit Thailand? Please. It is your countrymen which keep this place going.

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Good For Prince Philip

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The following article was published today in the Bangkok Post. I have re-posted in its entirety as it is well worth reading. I just feel that it is a pity that it did not name names. I have made that right by commenting at the end - Peter



EDITORIAL from the Bangkok Post

Worthy bid to rescue wildlife

Published: 2/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News


"The end of August saw the arrest of a woman who tried to smuggle a sedated baby tiger cub through Suvarnabhumi Airport and aboard a flight to Iran. Now comes the detection and seizure this week of 1,140 endangered star tortoises aboard an arriving flight from Bangladesh. In between was a massive haul of African ivory.


This not only shows that Thai customs authorities are maintaining their vigilance; it confirms that the intensive training given to airport staff under the "Wildlife Trafficking Stops Here" campaign is a worthwhile project that should be extended to land border posts to foil cross-border smuggling.


Stepped-up action is necessary for several reasons. The number of tigers in Asia has plummeted due mainly to habitat loss and poachers who sell their skins and body parts to medicinal and souvenir markets in China, a traditional but illegal activity that Beijing insists it is determined to stamp out. Trade in tigers has been outlawed, no matter whether the animals are domesticated or come from the wild. With so few left in Thai forests, saving them has to be given top priority.


It is troubling that a clandestine market exists for them as high-priced exotic pets in Iran or anywhere else for that matter. A similar fate awaits trafficked star tortoises in Southeast Asia even though they are supposedly protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and cannot be exported without a special permit. In both of these cases, those arrested face jail terms of up to 4 years each and/or a maximum fine of 40,000 baht. This is hardly sufficient to deter an illicit international trade in rare species which has a turnover of billions of baht a year. Worldwide, the wildlife trade is reputed to be the second largest form of black market commerce, only falling behind drug smuggling.


Successive Thai governments have held out promises of tougher laws to protect the country's disappearing wildlife, something the well-intentioned but ineffective 1992 Preservation and Protection Act and earlier 1961 Parks Act have failed to do. Evidence of this inadequacy can be seen any weekend at Chatuchak Market. Not far from the pitiable rows of often sick, caged creatures for sale can be found groups of wildlife traders who openly operate here because the penalties are so small. Arrests have been made for dealing in Madagascan Ploughshare tortoises, so rare that conservationists say only 300 remain in the world, and slow lorises, endangered primates that live in Southeast Asian forests. But when the cases eventually came to court, only fines were imposed. Conservation campaigns at Chatuchak have not shown much success of late.


We can only look back in horror at the events of the past decade and the criticism they have brought as one scandal has followed another. There was the disastrous attempt to import 135 wild animals including zebras and giraffes from Kenya for the Night Safari Zoo in Chiang Mai, the clandestine export of up to 100 tigers to a Chinese zoo, the smuggling of orangutans from Indonesia to a private Thai zoo and the protracted delay in returning them, and the mishandling of an elephant-koala swap with Australia.


Nearly 20 years ago, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, not known for sugarcoating his criticisms, embarrassed Thai officials presenting him with a conservation award when he said: "Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading in endangered species in the world."


The shocking part is that if that were true in 1991, it is equally true today."

My Notes:

"the clandestine export of up to 100 tigers to a Chinese zoo" - These were sent out by the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo which is still breeding tigers in their hundreds. None of these animals is of any value from the point of view of conservation. Just where are the animals going?

"the smuggling of orangutans from Indonesia to a private Thai zoo" - This was Bangkok Safari World. There is still some mystery surrounding the disappearance of some of the Orangutans here. It is my strongly held belief that if anyone made serious investigation that these would be found at Koh Kong Safari World in Cambodia. There are 'boxing' Orangutans in both collections.


"135 wild animals including zebras and giraffes from Kenya for the Night Safari Zoo in Chiang Mai" - In my ZooNews Digest mail out edition I remarked about how I believed it was unwise to send any animals to Chiang Mai. Here it was not in a Kenya connection but an Australian one. I recieved a couple emails from down under telling me to keep my mouth shut. Was I wrong? I most certainly was not. It would have been nice to have an apology. Far better that the animals were not sent in the first place. As to the Kenya animals well I had mixed feelings but was against the way that it was tried to be prevented by groups of sensible people mixed in with Animal Rights and their cults.


This below was from an earlier News Story:
"An elephant-koala exchange programme between Thailand and Australia has drawn fierce opposition from animal right activists in both countries who fear it would lead to maltreatment of the endangered animals.

Under the scheme, Thailand is to send eight female elephants and one male, aged 3-8 years, to Sydney's Taronga zoo and Melbourne zoo in Australia and to Wellington zoo in New Zealand in exchange for at least two koalas from Australia.
The koalas will be kept at the two-billion-baht new Night Safari zoo scheduled"

The "Fierce oppostion" was stirred up by animal rights groups again. There was objection too from the so called Thai Elephant Rescue Centres (which are just zoos under another name). There was no way that the care of elephants in Australia was going to be less than anything provided in Thailand and it probably would in many cases be better.

As to the Koalas going to the Night Safari....no I admit it, I was not happy about that. Two billion baht maybe. The Night Safari had what was probably one of the most expensive and beautiful frontages in the world. That sadly was where most of the money was spent. The enclosures themselves were too small and badly done. The walk through section was a good deal better. The chances are a lot of money and lavish care and attention would have been spent on the Koalas and definitely would have been if they had gone to Chiang Mai Zoo.

As to "Chatuchak Market" I have seen all sorts of rare tortoises there in times past including those from Madagascar. Impossible to take photographs without having a nasty accident with camera or head. I walked away dumbstruck wondering if what I had seen was a dream. I saw nothing much on my last couple of visits. Who buys these I wonder? Where do they go? They don't come cheap I imagine. People know what they are buying.

Returning to the closing statement of the article which caused my banter:

"The shocking part is that if that were true in 1991, it is equally true today."

And IT IS true.

We still have the likes of :

The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Thailand And they are planning to open another collection!!!!!

Million Years Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm

Pata Zoo in Bangkok Thailand

Phuket Zoo in Thailand

and those I mentioned earlier. They live by their own set of rules and do not even have a basic understanding of what keeping exotic animals is about. There are some good zoos in Thailand and I don't doubt that within the bad zoos that there are some good and caring staff.

It really is well overdue that the animal keeping facilities were put in order. Next month it is the 18th Annual SEAZA Conference taking place in Bali. Very sadly after 18 conferences SEAZA has still not managed to put its own house in order. I would like to think that this year they actually will stop pulling the wool over their own eyes and actually do something. Unless they do there is no way they can actually approach the governments of their respective countries and have a set of guidelines and minimum standards imposed on all collections keeping exotic animals.

I imagine I will once again have emails telling me to keep my mouth shut. But, like Prince Philip, I won't.

***

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Punch A Tiger On The Head, Pull Its Tail!

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"As for pulling the tail and punching tigers on the head, these are ways to make a tiger obey," "It is similar to training dogs or elephants. Some physical pain is needed to discipline them for pictures." - Athithat Srimanee (Manager of The Tiger Temple Foundation)

July 2010, Sairung has had what will probably be her approximate 32nd litter of cubs.
Occassionally he still snaps at the Abbot, just to be abused back into submission - urine squirting, tiger balm rubbed into eyes, punched, screamed at, kicked, beaten.....

Read the whole of the report from which the above was extracted by clicking

HERE 

Yes, okay it is the evil Tiger Temple again but no apologies for the repetition. This place continues its ways and plans expansion. The appeal by the 39 member organisations of the International Tiger Coalition was virtually ignored. My personal appeals to the zoo world to post warnings on Tiger exhibits to prospective Thailand tourists not to visit the tiger temple appears to have fallen on deaf ears....mores the pity. Some even promote a Temple connection.

You can read more about the Tiger Temple below. Plus links.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - More on the Tiger Temple
Sunday, January 24, 2010 The Shocking Truth About The Tiger Temple
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Tiger Temple Sues Conservationists
Saturday, February 6, 2010 Tiger Temple - Another Opinion
Friday, February 12, 2010 Latest News On The Tiger Temple
Monday, February 15, 2010 Tiger Temple Sues Top Wildlife Activists
Thursday, April 22, 2010 Tiger Temple 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010 Tiger Temple News
Thursday, June 3, 2010 Tiger Temple Plans Expansion

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Tiger Temple Plans Expansion

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Recent political problems in Thailand have resulted in a financial loss for the infamous Tiger Temple at Kanchanaburi. Less gullible tourists being drawn in believing they playing a part in some quasi religious/conservation experience means less money for the shadowy exploiters who lurk behind the concept.

Even before the lack of visitors became a problem there were plans to expand. Some may attribute change to improvement whereas here it is, in reality, a move to yet further commercial exploitation. Dress anything up in colourful 'conservation' lights and people are taken in.

The Tiger Temple is a cruel and exploitative venture. It makes money hand over fist by taking advantage of tigers and lying to visitors.

There are three Facebook groups which are dedicated to keeping the public aware of what is going on and spreading the message.

David Hargreaves of Tiger Temple Truths states today:

"Tiger Temple Truths has discovered from a source inside the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, that a second 'branch' of the Tiger Temple is to open in Pattaya, Thailand, in the first half of 2011.


Mr Gonzales working within the Tiger Temple informed one of Tiger Temple Truth's undercover volunteers who recently left the Tiger Temple, that the new branch was being opened due to falling visitor numbers at the currrent location.

By opening a branch in Pattaya - a town which attracts numerous tourists - the aim is to increase revenue, and eventually have 100 tiger cubs, ready and waiting to have their photos taken with exploitative tourists."
 
The background of Mr Gonzales is a bit of a mystery but many report him to be a very unpleasant character.
 
Sybelle Foxcroft from the Facebook Group Behind The Cloak Of Buddha is always a useful source of information. She reports recently of a Tigress 'Sangtewan' which is just going into her 46th pregnancy! This is horrific. Pure exploitation and cruel with it. It demonstrates not just a lack of understanding of animal welfare but a complete and utter disregard for it. Sybelle has also reported that two further facilities are planned called 'Tiger World' and 'Tiger Paradise'.
 
Be assured that these will be more akin to a tiger hell than a paradise and unless we can spread the word and get action then hell will be on earth.
 
Then there is Ban The Tiger Temple. Please take a look there too because it has a lot of up to date information.
 
From a personal point of view I have been drawing attention to this evil place with my hub:
 

The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Thailand

 
which I wrote back in August 2009 prior to the arrival of any of the Facebook sites. I am delighted that it has been read by so many. Whereas some of the comments I have recieved have been quite heart warming, others have been very threatening. I know that others have been threatened to.

More recently I have been trying to get the world zoo community aboard through postings on Zoo News Digest. I have requested that every zoo (reputable zoo, that is) have a small sign on their Tiger enclosures warning people not to visit the Tiger Temple.

So far I have not learned of a single zoo, anywhere, which has taken up the suggestio and now it looks like now that the list of places which should not be visited may well have to be expanded.

Tiger Temple News

There is more news today from the Terrible Tiger Temple. In yesterdays Zoo News Digest I suggested that good zoos around the world could put a small display on their

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Tiger exhibits asking their visitors to avoid the Tiger Temple if they visited Thailand. Please give serious consideration to this request. You really can make a difference by hitting this place where it hurts, in the deep pockets of corruption. The Tiger Temple, Sri Racha Tiger Zoo, Phuket Zoo and others are purely exploitative. There are good zoos in Thailand but these are not amongst them.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wakxy/2304408498/

Cubs are routinely pulled for hand rearing so that they can be handled with a degree of safety and more fully exploited when older. Whereas there is a place for 'ambassador' animals in zoos I don't believe that large cats are amongst them. Such use sends out the wrong message to places like the Tiger Temple and other less informed collections around the world.

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Below is the latest news on the Temple from Sybelle:


Subject: News Unfolding - Update (keep updated at Behind the Cloak of Buddha)

Hello All,

I apologise for the 2 very recent updates I have sent you all, but the information I am getting is coming at a fast unexpected pace. So I ask you all to bare with me.


As you know, on yesterdays update I told you I am communicating directly with the temple now, in regard to trying to get some of the tigers out of there and rehome them.


I did not expect the immediate response that I have recieved.


The news is not good.


Although the Temple is quite willing to talk with me, the monster that the Temple has and continues to grow into is very very disturbing, to say the least.


The facts that have come out of my conversations with the Temple are as follows:


The Tiger Temple has begun 2 additional projects. These are called


* Tiger Paradise
* Tiger World


Tiger Paradise
Is a 500 acre piece of land that they are now building for more tigers. The Temple states that the Tiger Paradise Concept
Tigers are roaming free in natural protected habitat
Natural landscape design
Waterfall and tiny river
Hind spot for investigation
Research and Education
Rehabilitation
Tiger Behaviour
Ecological Science


(Havent we heard that before..)


I want to reinforce in all of you, that the current tigers at the Tiger Temple are living in squalid conditions, their diet and care is horribly lacking (see photographs) and this new project is having money poured into it, when the current Tiger Island is unfinished after 7 years of public donations and the ongoing vicious care and handling of these creatures.


The promises that the Temple has made to the public repeatedly over the years, in regard to all the donation going to benefit the tigers, is a lie, a continuing lie.


As the Temple has now, and for a while, been working on the new Tiger Paradise, funds for the present tigers is directed to these other now current projects. This is ongoing fraud.


Tiger World
Is another project where more tigers are going to be kept in squalid conditions. Again stating the same 'tiger roaming free' 'conservation' etc.


Public donated money is being poured into these two new ventures, I was positive before that the public had no idea there money wasnt getting to the tigers, but I am absolutely certain the public has no idea about this fraud.
This is a growing monster.


TIGER CONSERVATION or something more sinister.


As much as I love the tigers trapped inside the Temple, the fact of the matter is that these tigers are not pure bred Indochinese, Malayan or Bengal tigers.
They are cross bred, hybrid or inbred.
Because of this they hold no value to conservation, but what do they hold value for?.


A recent report released by WWF and TRAFFIC, state that Chinese business owners who would profit from the tiger trade are increasing pressure on the Chinese government to overturn its successful 1993 ban. If this ban is lifted it will be a death sentence to all tiger sub species.


Here is the link to the report prepared by TRAFFIC SE Asia and WWF http://www.facebook.com/l/4fe60;www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/chinatigertrade/WWFBinaryitem5195.pdf

It is well known that the tiger trade in thailand is directly linked to China.


If this ban is lifted, the supply and demand will cause the extinction of all tiger sub species.


WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE TIGER TEMPLE?


The Tiger Temple is not about conservation of tigers, it is not about the wellbeing of tigers, nor is it of any use to pure bred breeding of tigers or protecting the tigers in the wild. Not one of the Temples programs assists with protecting wild tiger populations in Thailand. Why is that? Because they do not want to protect the wild tigers, because they have no interest in wild tigers, and because it does not benefit them to protect wild tiger populations for their business purposes.


The Tiger Temple is a business. And what do business people strive for - increased finances, succeeding financially.


The public have waited for the Tiger Temple to do what they said it was going to do, and that was to provide a wonderful home for these tigers inside the Temple.


The reality is that they are expanding to procure and breed as many tigers as possible in the Temple, Tiger Paradise and Tiger World so if the ban is lifted on the tiger trade, they will have a financial windfall.


WHO IS MAKING THIS POSSIBLE


The public, the tourists that go there, with their continued donations that will never get to the tigers, and the continued tourism.


People were wondering how and why the Temple suddenly started increasing the number of tigers inside the temple. Up until Jan 2008 there were 18 tigers. The breeding machine females Sangtewan and Sairung pushed the numbers up, then more female tigers gave birth, until the number now stands at 65 and rising.


After going in there and counting every tiger and every cage, and knowing that there were not enough cages for the tigers, even if you put a couple or three in together, the proposition to buy the tigers off the temple seemed to force the exposure of their plan.


Through the information Dr Somchai has given me, there is no doubt that a concerted effort is needed from organisations and people who claim to be 'Saving the Tiger', I ask these places to act now and stop this abomination.
Forget your political standings, forget the criterias you work in, forget more reporting, you know whats going on, so act on this monstrosity that is occurring in front of our eyes.


We people, the public must continue the fight to save the tigers, all tigers in the wild and in captivite abuse wildlife trading places like the Temple.


This has become much bigger than anything I ever thought the Temple was capable of. This is now a gigantic monster ready to chew up and spit out wonderful tigers, for greed, for money, always has been, always will be.


There will be no saving these tigers, if we do not continue to be a voice for them.


The future, for future hybrid litters in the temple is locked in Tiger Island, Tiger Paradise and Tiger World.


This is not only about the rights of these tigers anymore, this is now about our rights as human beings. Our rights that we, the majority of people in this world, do not want the abuse of our beloved creatures, we do not want the wildlife trade, we do not want the stupidity of select people promoting the myths of tiger penis soup and other heinous medicine lies, and we do not want the extinction of one of the most iconic and beloved creatures on our earth. This is OUR rights now being ignored, abused and laughed at.


We cannot stand quietly and let it happen.


I have a website that is going up at the end of May. It is under CEE-4-Life, it will enable our voice and action to occur.


When you consistently fight and try to save species and find you are barely making any difference, and feel like no one is doing anything, sometimes it just comes down to the fact that you know you can rely on yourself, and you will act.


I am dedicated to trying to save all tiger sub species in the wild, to expose the corrupt places around our earth, and will fight with every bit of arsenal I have to save our tigers.


I am asking you all to never give up on them, this is monster and we need to fight it.


Sybelle xo


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