Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
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lvdkeyes
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
My last comment re: tigers: I think the temple is a good place for the tigers since their natural habitat is disappearing fast. I agree it's not ideal, but the best alternative, IMHO.
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christianpfc
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
If these 147 tigers come from 10, they are inbred.
I have never been so I can't judge by myself, but the internet says they are sedated to allow tourists to touch them; nonetheless accidents occur.lvdkeyes wrote:I don't agree with you. Having been to the temple a few times, I saw the tigers well cared for and have sufficiently large areas for them. Since their natural habitats are being eroded away, I see this as a good alternative. That's just MHO.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
‘Tiger temple’ gets zoo license
The Nation
April 26, 2016
The world famous and highly controversial “Tiger temple” has now won a license 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 license 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.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 84690.html
The Nation
April 26, 2016
The world famous and highly controversial “Tiger temple” has now won a license 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 license 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.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 84690.html
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Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
Department defends Tiger Temple Co licence
Legal suit looms despite zoo approval
by Apinya Wipatayotin
27 Apr 2016
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation insists the granting of a zoo licence to the tiger temple in Kanchanaburi province was done legally under the proper regulations.
Adisorn Noochdamrong, the department's deputy chief, said Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua, known as the Tiger Temple, had set up a company, the Tiger Temple Co, to run the zoo.
It submitted a request to the department in February to set up the private zoo and applied for the required licences.
He was responding to the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, which has criticised the department's granting of the zoo licence despite the fact the temple has faced legal troubles over the wildlife in its possession, including tigers.
The activist group has petitioned the Central Administrative Court to withdraw the zoo permit.
"The court has not yet issued a ruling, which in legal terms means the temple has done nothing wrong," said Mr Adisorn.
Also, he said no one from the company was involved with illegal wildlife possession.
"We have seen no reason to reject the company's proposal," he said.
Mr Adisorn said the activists should understand the case of the temple's zoo licence and the legal suit the temple is facing are different.
"The department will immediately revoke the licence if the temple or people from Tiger Temple Co are found guilty of wildlife crimes," he said.
The department's chief, Tanya Nethitammakul, granted a public zoo establishment and operating licence last Tuesday, covering 25 rai of land, to Tiger Temple Co in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi. The licence is effective until April 18, 2021.
Under the licence, the company can use wild animals, including tigers, for show. The department said being a legal zoo means the forest authority can come to check on the welfare of the animals and to make sure the facility is operating within legal requirements.
According to the Tiger Temple Co, the zoo licence was granted on several conditions, including requirements that it hire full-time qualified specialists and veterinarians, and limit the number of animals at the zoo.
Other demands are that animals not be abused or mistreated, that it introduce efficient waste management, and ensure the safety of visitors.
Currently, there are 137 tigers in the temple's care after the department relocated 10 tigers, with plans under way to transfer 10 more.
"We still have as our mission to relocate them all from the temple. If the company wants them back, it could be possible to buy them back from the department," said Mr Adisorn, adding his officers will set up a committee to set a price for each tiger.
The purchases would be open to all zoos, not just the tiger temple.
A department source said the price of a tiger might be over one million baht, which the temple could be able to afford as its revenue from visitors, particularly foreign tourists, is in excess of 200 million baht per year.
In 2001, forest officials found the temple possessed seven illegal tigers, but the temple denied purchasing them, insisting people donated them.
At the time, the authorities decided to allow the illegal tigers to remain at the temple as there was no other place capable of caring for them.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... co-licence
Legal suit looms despite zoo approval
by Apinya Wipatayotin
27 Apr 2016
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation insists the granting of a zoo licence to the tiger temple in Kanchanaburi province was done legally under the proper regulations.
Adisorn Noochdamrong, the department's deputy chief, said Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua, known as the Tiger Temple, had set up a company, the Tiger Temple Co, to run the zoo.
It submitted a request to the department in February to set up the private zoo and applied for the required licences.
He was responding to the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, which has criticised the department's granting of the zoo licence despite the fact the temple has faced legal troubles over the wildlife in its possession, including tigers.
The activist group has petitioned the Central Administrative Court to withdraw the zoo permit.
"The court has not yet issued a ruling, which in legal terms means the temple has done nothing wrong," said Mr Adisorn.
Also, he said no one from the company was involved with illegal wildlife possession.
"We have seen no reason to reject the company's proposal," he said.
Mr Adisorn said the activists should understand the case of the temple's zoo licence and the legal suit the temple is facing are different.
"The department will immediately revoke the licence if the temple or people from Tiger Temple Co are found guilty of wildlife crimes," he said.
The department's chief, Tanya Nethitammakul, granted a public zoo establishment and operating licence last Tuesday, covering 25 rai of land, to Tiger Temple Co in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi. The licence is effective until April 18, 2021.
Under the licence, the company can use wild animals, including tigers, for show. The department said being a legal zoo means the forest authority can come to check on the welfare of the animals and to make sure the facility is operating within legal requirements.
According to the Tiger Temple Co, the zoo licence was granted on several conditions, including requirements that it hire full-time qualified specialists and veterinarians, and limit the number of animals at the zoo.
Other demands are that animals not be abused or mistreated, that it introduce efficient waste management, and ensure the safety of visitors.
Currently, there are 137 tigers in the temple's care after the department relocated 10 tigers, with plans under way to transfer 10 more.
"We still have as our mission to relocate them all from the temple. If the company wants them back, it could be possible to buy them back from the department," said Mr Adisorn, adding his officers will set up a committee to set a price for each tiger.
The purchases would be open to all zoos, not just the tiger temple.
A department source said the price of a tiger might be over one million baht, which the temple could be able to afford as its revenue from visitors, particularly foreign tourists, is in excess of 200 million baht per year.
In 2001, forest officials found the temple possessed seven illegal tigers, but the temple denied purchasing them, insisting people donated them.
At the time, the authorities decided to allow the illegal tigers to remain at the temple as there was no other place capable of caring for them.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... co-licence
Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
I'd recommend a hearty diet of monk meat for the dear tigers. Many of Thailand's problems could be solved by controlling the monk population. 
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Up2u
Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
An article from the NYTIMES about the tiger temple. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/world ... .html?_r=1
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Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
All tigers cleared from temple, legal action to follow
4 Jun 2016
KANCHANABURI: "Sai Fah 2" was the last tiger to be tranquillised before the 300-kilogramme male cat and eight others were moved out of the Tiger Temple on Saturday.
The move brought to an end a five-day mission to relocate 137 big cats from a site that had become a temple of doom for wildlife. Now authorities will begin the even harder task of gathering evidence that they believe could link Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua to the worldwide illegal animal trade.
The job took on a new urgency this week as the rescue operation proceeded, after officials discovered more than live tigers at the lucrative tourist attraction in Sai Yok district. Dead tiger cubs, animal parts and amulets were also part of the grim haul, suggesting a thriving trade in trafficked species.
The last nine tigers were taken to the Khao Son wildlife breeding centre in Chom Bung district in Ratchaburi, one of the two sanctuaries set aside for all of the rescued cats.
Tuanjai Noochdamrong, the Wildlife Conservation Office director, declared the transfer operation over and said legal action against the temple and the people involved was next.
That means police are taking the lead from now on, with assistance from the National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, to look into possible links between the temple and wildlife traffickers.
"The work has been handed over to police officers from today," said Adisorn Noochdamrong, the deputy director-general of the department.
The department has already asked police at Sai Yok to take action against one monk and two temple employees accused of possessing carcasses of protected animals.
From Monday to Friday this week, authorities found 40 tiger cub carcasses, six hornbills, 27 sheets of processed wood, including teak, two tiger pelts and hundreds of ta krut talismans made from tiger parts, among others.
The stunning discoveries continued on Saturday when authorities found a stuffed tiger buffalo, a stuffed Asian golden cat and a stuffed leopard. The skeletons of a dead Asian golden cat and a dead leopard were also seized in the compound.
Some of the discoveries were made near the residence of the temple's abbot, Phra Sutthi Sarathera, or Luang Ta Chan. The monk left the temple for Bangkok last Sunday and nobody knows where he is now.
After the tiger transfer was completed, authorities handed back control of the 1,456-rai compound but no representatives from the temple showed up. Sayant Saengklueb, president of the Sing Tambon Administration Organisation, and Suphan Korfuk, a kamnan of tambon Sing, appeared on their behalf.
Besides facing criminal action, the temple could lose its licence to operate a zoo. The licence was authorised by the department for the Luang Ta Maha Bua Foundation, not the temple itself.
Mrs Tuanjai cautioned that the zoo licence and the alleged misdeeds at the temple were separate legal issues. But she said that if any offenders at the temple turned out to also be officials of the foundation, the licence could be revoked.
Story and photo: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -beginning
Photo Gallery: http://www.bangkokpost.com/photo/photo/ ... complished
_____________________________________________________________
Tiger removal operation ‘a success’
by Pratch Rujivanarom and Janjira Pongrai
THE SUNDAY NATION
June 5, 2016
The tiger relocation operation from the controversial Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi has been labelled a success after the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation relocated the last 11 animals yesterday.
The DNP revealed that the seized evidence from the temple was worth Bt1.5 million and said its investigation into the temple's alleged involvement in illegal wildlife trading was ongoing.
It said the Royal Forestry Department, Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO), and Land Department had begun their probe into whether the temple illegally acquired land.
DNP deputy director-general Adisorn Noochdumrong said while all the tigers had been removed, department officers were still gathering evidence at the venue to determine if the temple had been involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
"We have successfully transferred all 137 tigers from the temple. All of them are healthy and under the care of the department's veterinarians," Adisorn said.
"However, we found out that eight female tigers show signs that they just gave birth to tiger cubs. But among the 137 tigers, there are no young tigers, so we are now investigating to find out where are these tiger cubs and how this issue connects with the tiger cubs remains that we have seized."
A DNP team used a search warrant to enter the temple on Monday. The seized items include a stuffed Asian black bear, two stuffed leopards, antlers, leopard skeletons, five cubic metres of timber and more than 60 fresh and pickled tiger cubs.
Adisorn said that as part of the investigation into alleged illegal wildlife trading, the DNP was inspecting CCTV footage at the temple.
"We have got clear evidence that may confirm the accusations against the temple and we are now analysing and preparing the evidence in order to file more charges against the temple," he said.
"Even though we have still not pressed charges against temple abbot Luang Ta Chan, we have enough proof from witnesses and solid evidences that he may be involved in these [alleged] illegal activities, so we would like to ask him to hand himself over to the authorities to assist the probe."
According to reports, Luang Ta Chan fled the temple by car with temple personnel one day before the DNP team raided the temple and has not returned to the temple or made contact with anyone there. His whereabouts are unknown.
The Kanchanaburi ALRO office's legal officer Rojanaphan Naring-in revealed that the office and other relevant agencies were mapping the temple grounds to determine if the temple had complied with the conditions of its land-use permit with the ALRO.
"The temple gained permission from the ALRO to use 391 rai [62 hectares] of the land for religious purposes only. But based on the news, we are now probing to see if the temple has complied with the [land use] conditions," Rojanaphan said. "If it hasn't, we will send a letter to the National Office of Buddhism, and if the temple still does not listen, their land right will be revoke.
"Moreover, if the ALRO finds out that the temple has encroached beyond the permitted land, they will face legal action."
Adisorn stated that if the temple were guilty of illegal encroachment, its zoo permit would immediately be revoked. He said that even if the temple could legally run the zoo, all the animals must be legally obtained or the zoo may be closed down.
Story and photos: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 87399.html
4 Jun 2016
KANCHANABURI: "Sai Fah 2" was the last tiger to be tranquillised before the 300-kilogramme male cat and eight others were moved out of the Tiger Temple on Saturday.
The move brought to an end a five-day mission to relocate 137 big cats from a site that had become a temple of doom for wildlife. Now authorities will begin the even harder task of gathering evidence that they believe could link Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua to the worldwide illegal animal trade.
The job took on a new urgency this week as the rescue operation proceeded, after officials discovered more than live tigers at the lucrative tourist attraction in Sai Yok district. Dead tiger cubs, animal parts and amulets were also part of the grim haul, suggesting a thriving trade in trafficked species.
The last nine tigers were taken to the Khao Son wildlife breeding centre in Chom Bung district in Ratchaburi, one of the two sanctuaries set aside for all of the rescued cats.
Tuanjai Noochdamrong, the Wildlife Conservation Office director, declared the transfer operation over and said legal action against the temple and the people involved was next.
That means police are taking the lead from now on, with assistance from the National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, to look into possible links between the temple and wildlife traffickers.
"The work has been handed over to police officers from today," said Adisorn Noochdamrong, the deputy director-general of the department.
The department has already asked police at Sai Yok to take action against one monk and two temple employees accused of possessing carcasses of protected animals.
From Monday to Friday this week, authorities found 40 tiger cub carcasses, six hornbills, 27 sheets of processed wood, including teak, two tiger pelts and hundreds of ta krut talismans made from tiger parts, among others.
The stunning discoveries continued on Saturday when authorities found a stuffed tiger buffalo, a stuffed Asian golden cat and a stuffed leopard. The skeletons of a dead Asian golden cat and a dead leopard were also seized in the compound.
Some of the discoveries were made near the residence of the temple's abbot, Phra Sutthi Sarathera, or Luang Ta Chan. The monk left the temple for Bangkok last Sunday and nobody knows where he is now.
After the tiger transfer was completed, authorities handed back control of the 1,456-rai compound but no representatives from the temple showed up. Sayant Saengklueb, president of the Sing Tambon Administration Organisation, and Suphan Korfuk, a kamnan of tambon Sing, appeared on their behalf.
Besides facing criminal action, the temple could lose its licence to operate a zoo. The licence was authorised by the department for the Luang Ta Maha Bua Foundation, not the temple itself.
Mrs Tuanjai cautioned that the zoo licence and the alleged misdeeds at the temple were separate legal issues. But she said that if any offenders at the temple turned out to also be officials of the foundation, the licence could be revoked.
Story and photo: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -beginning
Photo Gallery: http://www.bangkokpost.com/photo/photo/ ... complished
_____________________________________________________________
Tiger removal operation ‘a success’
by Pratch Rujivanarom and Janjira Pongrai
THE SUNDAY NATION
June 5, 2016
The tiger relocation operation from the controversial Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi has been labelled a success after the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation relocated the last 11 animals yesterday.
The DNP revealed that the seized evidence from the temple was worth Bt1.5 million and said its investigation into the temple's alleged involvement in illegal wildlife trading was ongoing.
It said the Royal Forestry Department, Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO), and Land Department had begun their probe into whether the temple illegally acquired land.
DNP deputy director-general Adisorn Noochdumrong said while all the tigers had been removed, department officers were still gathering evidence at the venue to determine if the temple had been involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
"We have successfully transferred all 137 tigers from the temple. All of them are healthy and under the care of the department's veterinarians," Adisorn said.
"However, we found out that eight female tigers show signs that they just gave birth to tiger cubs. But among the 137 tigers, there are no young tigers, so we are now investigating to find out where are these tiger cubs and how this issue connects with the tiger cubs remains that we have seized."
A DNP team used a search warrant to enter the temple on Monday. The seized items include a stuffed Asian black bear, two stuffed leopards, antlers, leopard skeletons, five cubic metres of timber and more than 60 fresh and pickled tiger cubs.
Adisorn said that as part of the investigation into alleged illegal wildlife trading, the DNP was inspecting CCTV footage at the temple.
"We have got clear evidence that may confirm the accusations against the temple and we are now analysing and preparing the evidence in order to file more charges against the temple," he said.
"Even though we have still not pressed charges against temple abbot Luang Ta Chan, we have enough proof from witnesses and solid evidences that he may be involved in these [alleged] illegal activities, so we would like to ask him to hand himself over to the authorities to assist the probe."
According to reports, Luang Ta Chan fled the temple by car with temple personnel one day before the DNP team raided the temple and has not returned to the temple or made contact with anyone there. His whereabouts are unknown.
The Kanchanaburi ALRO office's legal officer Rojanaphan Naring-in revealed that the office and other relevant agencies were mapping the temple grounds to determine if the temple had complied with the conditions of its land-use permit with the ALRO.
"The temple gained permission from the ALRO to use 391 rai [62 hectares] of the land for religious purposes only. But based on the news, we are now probing to see if the temple has complied with the [land use] conditions," Rojanaphan said. "If it hasn't, we will send a letter to the National Office of Buddhism, and if the temple still does not listen, their land right will be revoke.
"Moreover, if the ALRO finds out that the temple has encroached beyond the permitted land, they will face legal action."
Adisorn stated that if the temple were guilty of illegal encroachment, its zoo permit would immediately be revoked. He said that even if the temple could legally run the zoo, all the animals must be legally obtained or the zoo may be closed down.
Story and photos: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 87399.html
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Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
Tiger Temple faces axe
Land violations added to stack of charges
by Piyarach Chongcharoen
6 Jun 2016
Kanchanaburi: The Tiger Temple faces possible closure after fresh charges of forest encroachment involving almost 1,000 rai of land and eviction for misuse of granted land.
Officially known as Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua, the temple now faces charges of forest encroachment after authorities conducted an inspection on Sunday that found the temple covered an area of 1,419 rai, far beyond the 391 granted by the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) to the temple. The rest allegedly sits on a forest reserve.
The inspection was conducted by officials from Alro, the Royal Forestry Department, the Kanchanaburi provincial land office and police. Authorities agreed the temple violated the forestry law, the land use law and the environment law.
encroach on forest areas. Authorities found three structures on the land: a bathroom, a warehouse and an unfinished viharn, a temple hall that houses a statue of the Buddha.
Suphap Korfak, chief of tambon Singha, has been assigned to supervise the area and keep anyone from dismantling the structures as legal action is taken against the temple.
Alro has also uncovered misuse of a 391-rai plot and is gearing up to evict the occupants while authorities gather evidence linking the plot to the illicit wildlife trade, authorities said.
Alro allocated the land as requested by the Office of National Buddhism (ONB). The temple kept almost 150 tigers and other wild animals in the compound.
Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said Alro is expected to send a letter to the ONB this week, seeking to revoke the temple's right to use the land while forestry officials will press charges of forest encroachment.
Chayapong Pongsida, deputy ONB chief, said a probe will be launched into the claims and if found to be true the temple will be relocated or closed.
Mr Adisorn said the department has filed criminal complaints against three monks and two laymen with Sai Yok police.
He said the department will work with authorities to expand the investigation as the temple is suspected of engaging in illicit wildlife trading.
The temple denies the trafficking allegations.
According to Sai Yok police superintendent Pol Col Bundit Muangsukham, eight counts of charges, including the latest for forest encroachment, have been lodged against five people, including three monks, over the past week.
He said police have not yet summoned the abbot, Phra Sutthi Sarathera, known as Luang Ta Chan, for questioning but are expected to do so soon.
The abbot is said to have left the temple on May 29, one day before the relocation of the tigers. He was driven by a man identified only as Boonlue and his whereabouts remained unknown.
The long list of charges follow the DNP's operation to relocate 147 tigers from the temple early last week after the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court approved a warrant for the department to search the temple.
Authorities then found two tigers not on the temple's original list, bringing the total number of tigers in the temple's possession to 149. The tigers were moved to Khao Pratap Chang and Khao Son wildlife breeding centres in the Chom Boeng district of Ratchaburi.
Authorities later discovered the carcasses of 70 tiger cubs, two tiger pelts, a large number of talismans made from tiger carcasses, six hornbills and 27 sheets of processed wood, including teak. Plastic bottles with labels advertising their contents as supplements with "tiger power" were also found.
Mr Adisorn said DNA tests of the tigers and carcasses will be conducted and all the dead cubs will undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Results are expected in two weeks.
He said there are still some animals left in the temple that need to be relocated including a horse, wild boar, buffaloes, an antelope and a barking deer.
National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda said police will investigate whether the temple is involved in wildlife trafficking and will step up a crackdown on illegal possession of wild and protected animals.
He said the DNP may have to consider revoking the temple's zoo licence.
Story and photos: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -faces-axe
Land violations added to stack of charges
by Piyarach Chongcharoen
6 Jun 2016
Kanchanaburi: The Tiger Temple faces possible closure after fresh charges of forest encroachment involving almost 1,000 rai of land and eviction for misuse of granted land.
Officially known as Wat Pa Luang Ta Maha Bua, the temple now faces charges of forest encroachment after authorities conducted an inspection on Sunday that found the temple covered an area of 1,419 rai, far beyond the 391 granted by the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) to the temple. The rest allegedly sits on a forest reserve.
The inspection was conducted by officials from Alro, the Royal Forestry Department, the Kanchanaburi provincial land office and police. Authorities agreed the temple violated the forestry law, the land use law and the environment law.
encroach on forest areas. Authorities found three structures on the land: a bathroom, a warehouse and an unfinished viharn, a temple hall that houses a statue of the Buddha.
Suphap Korfak, chief of tambon Singha, has been assigned to supervise the area and keep anyone from dismantling the structures as legal action is taken against the temple.
Alro has also uncovered misuse of a 391-rai plot and is gearing up to evict the occupants while authorities gather evidence linking the plot to the illicit wildlife trade, authorities said.
Alro allocated the land as requested by the Office of National Buddhism (ONB). The temple kept almost 150 tigers and other wild animals in the compound.
Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said Alro is expected to send a letter to the ONB this week, seeking to revoke the temple's right to use the land while forestry officials will press charges of forest encroachment.
Chayapong Pongsida, deputy ONB chief, said a probe will be launched into the claims and if found to be true the temple will be relocated or closed.
Mr Adisorn said the department has filed criminal complaints against three monks and two laymen with Sai Yok police.
He said the department will work with authorities to expand the investigation as the temple is suspected of engaging in illicit wildlife trading.
The temple denies the trafficking allegations.
According to Sai Yok police superintendent Pol Col Bundit Muangsukham, eight counts of charges, including the latest for forest encroachment, have been lodged against five people, including three monks, over the past week.
He said police have not yet summoned the abbot, Phra Sutthi Sarathera, known as Luang Ta Chan, for questioning but are expected to do so soon.
The abbot is said to have left the temple on May 29, one day before the relocation of the tigers. He was driven by a man identified only as Boonlue and his whereabouts remained unknown.
The long list of charges follow the DNP's operation to relocate 147 tigers from the temple early last week after the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court approved a warrant for the department to search the temple.
Authorities then found two tigers not on the temple's original list, bringing the total number of tigers in the temple's possession to 149. The tigers were moved to Khao Pratap Chang and Khao Son wildlife breeding centres in the Chom Boeng district of Ratchaburi.
Authorities later discovered the carcasses of 70 tiger cubs, two tiger pelts, a large number of talismans made from tiger carcasses, six hornbills and 27 sheets of processed wood, including teak. Plastic bottles with labels advertising their contents as supplements with "tiger power" were also found.
Mr Adisorn said DNA tests of the tigers and carcasses will be conducted and all the dead cubs will undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Results are expected in two weeks.
He said there are still some animals left in the temple that need to be relocated including a horse, wild boar, buffaloes, an antelope and a barking deer.
National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda said police will investigate whether the temple is involved in wildlife trafficking and will step up a crackdown on illegal possession of wild and protected animals.
He said the DNP may have to consider revoking the temple's zoo licence.
Story and photos: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -faces-axe
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Gaybutton
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
I have never been to the Tiger Temple. I had actually been planning a trip there that would have taken place within the next few months until all this came out.
All these years I thought the Tiger Temple was established as a sanctuary for tigers and the main interest of the temple was to protect tigers and help prevent their extinction. But if all these stories and accusations are true, then rather than a temple of sanctuary it's turning out to be more the 'Tiger Temple of Doom.'
Instead of a paradise for tigers, which I thought it was, it seems to be that all along it was a tiger's worst nightmare, right out of a horror story for tigers. Apparently, until recently few were ever suspicious that behind it all the goings on were as sinister as it gets and the temple turned out to be in reality nothing more than a for-profit exploitation front that could, if it all is true, rival the medical experiments at Auschwitz. If all of this is true, I hope the monks are defrocked, jailed, and the whole place either shut down or taken over by people competent to properly care for the tigers. Doing this to animals is certainly not what monks are supposed to be doing.
Unfortunately, most of these tigers have been raised at the temple since birth. For most of them, training them to be able to be returned to the wild, survive, and live their lives as nature intended is probably out of the question. I have not seen much information yet about where the surviving tigers are likely to end up.
The only silver lining on the cloud that I can see is now Thailand is going to be investigating every facility in the entire country that displays animals to the public and/or trains animals to perform for shows.
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Breaking News: Tiger Slaughterhouse Discovered Near Kanchanaburi
07 June, 2016
KANCHANABURI — A widening investigation into the Tiger Temple’s role in animal trafficking led officers today to their most alarming discovery yet – a home they believe was used as a tiger slaughterhouse.
Four tigers were found locked in cages Thursday at a home located not far from the now shuttered tourist attraction in a residence officials think was used to keep and kill tigers before their meat, skins and parts were sold.
Two workers were found inside the home about 50 kilometers away from the Tiger Temple, according to an officer with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division. The owner’s whereabouts are unknown.
“[The two employees] didn’t really cooperate with us,” Pol. Col. Montri Pancharoen said by phone Tuesday afternoon. “But we believe that this is part of a big trafficking network which we will continue to investigate and expand into other provinces.”
The four tigers were reported to be all adults, according to Montri, who said their ages would be confirmed by veterinarians. They would also be examined to confirm their relation to the temple’s tigers, all 137 of which were removed during the past week in a raid by wildlife officials.
“[The tigers’] DNA will be tested to compare with those tigers moved out from the [Tiger Temple],” Montri said.
Police said they believe the home is owned by Thawat Kajornchaikul. Thawat is also known as Sia Tong, a kind of nickname used to describe someone wealthy and well connected. Police said he’s a Bangkok man married to a Kanchanaburi woman.
Story and photos: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/2250 ... nchanburi/
All these years I thought the Tiger Temple was established as a sanctuary for tigers and the main interest of the temple was to protect tigers and help prevent their extinction. But if all these stories and accusations are true, then rather than a temple of sanctuary it's turning out to be more the 'Tiger Temple of Doom.'
Instead of a paradise for tigers, which I thought it was, it seems to be that all along it was a tiger's worst nightmare, right out of a horror story for tigers. Apparently, until recently few were ever suspicious that behind it all the goings on were as sinister as it gets and the temple turned out to be in reality nothing more than a for-profit exploitation front that could, if it all is true, rival the medical experiments at Auschwitz. If all of this is true, I hope the monks are defrocked, jailed, and the whole place either shut down or taken over by people competent to properly care for the tigers. Doing this to animals is certainly not what monks are supposed to be doing.
Unfortunately, most of these tigers have been raised at the temple since birth. For most of them, training them to be able to be returned to the wild, survive, and live their lives as nature intended is probably out of the question. I have not seen much information yet about where the surviving tigers are likely to end up.
The only silver lining on the cloud that I can see is now Thailand is going to be investigating every facility in the entire country that displays animals to the public and/or trains animals to perform for shows.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Breaking News: Tiger Slaughterhouse Discovered Near Kanchanaburi
07 June, 2016
KANCHANABURI — A widening investigation into the Tiger Temple’s role in animal trafficking led officers today to their most alarming discovery yet – a home they believe was used as a tiger slaughterhouse.
Four tigers were found locked in cages Thursday at a home located not far from the now shuttered tourist attraction in a residence officials think was used to keep and kill tigers before their meat, skins and parts were sold.
Two workers were found inside the home about 50 kilometers away from the Tiger Temple, according to an officer with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division. The owner’s whereabouts are unknown.
“[The two employees] didn’t really cooperate with us,” Pol. Col. Montri Pancharoen said by phone Tuesday afternoon. “But we believe that this is part of a big trafficking network which we will continue to investigate and expand into other provinces.”
The four tigers were reported to be all adults, according to Montri, who said their ages would be confirmed by veterinarians. They would also be examined to confirm their relation to the temple’s tigers, all 137 of which were removed during the past week in a raid by wildlife officials.
“[The tigers’] DNA will be tested to compare with those tigers moved out from the [Tiger Temple],” Montri said.
Police said they believe the home is owned by Thawat Kajornchaikul. Thawat is also known as Sia Tong, a kind of nickname used to describe someone wealthy and well connected. Police said he’s a Bangkok man married to a Kanchanaburi woman.
Story and photos: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/2250 ... nchanburi/
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lvdkeyes
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Re: Thailand's famous Tiger Temple to lose its tigers
I have been to the tiger temple twice and the tigers all looked well taken care of. They all looked very healthy. I can only judge by what I saw.