I’ve read so much about Tiger Temple, I’m not entirely sure what to believe. I don’t think one can form a full opinion on the issue unless they were there in person and witnessed the interactions between the tigers and monks live.
You don’t necessarily have to go somewhere to form an opinion. There’s the internet for that.
The interactions between the monks and the tigers don’t mean squat, especially since the direct interaction itself is enough to condemn the facility because of how irresponsible it is.
As someone who has been to Tiger Temple, let me tell you why you don’t need to travel there yourself to make an opinion.
Two years ago I traveled to Thailand with a tour group. One day a member of the group asked our tour leader if we would be able to visit Tiger Temple since we were in the area. At the time, I had never heard of Tiger Temple but it seemed so cool. Petting tigers? Playing with tigers?! What could be bad about that?
The temple its self doesn’t have much around it. Had I choose to sit the activity out, I would have been forced to sit on a hot bench or in a hot bus for a few hours. However, the thought of skipping didn’t even cross my mind. I was so excited! We were given a brief talk by english speaking volunteers about how safe the temple was and how they absolutely under no circumstances gave their animals any drugs. Awesome.
We walked a tiger down to the picture area. Literally walked. You are constantly surrounded by people grabbing your camera to get a good picture. I was struck by how calm the tiger was, not seeming to care at all about all the activity around him.
At the picture area there were probably around 20 tigers chained in various areas. Many of them were so “asleep” that they hardly moved at all the whole time I was there. No animal would sleep that deeply in the presence of hundred of stranger making lots of noise. Yet, check this guy out.
Not a care in the world. Suspicious? Yes. The last tiger I took a picture with was younger than the rest and very fidgety. Every sound seemed to freak him out. The worker told me that he was “beat up by his brother” and thats why he acted that way. After working in a veterinary hospital for two years, I say he was having a reaction to his drugs. Sometimes the drugs that are supposed to calm the animals down have the opposite reaction instead. Thats what I saw there.
That is not an animal that is at peace with his surroundings. That tiger was freaked. Notice that his chains had been removed. Incredibly unsafe for all involved.
Speaking of unsafe, Tiger Temple also lets you play with the adolescent tigers! You walk through there enclosure and back yourself up against a wall. The workers hand you a large stick with a bag tied to the end. Like this:
They then tell you to smack the water around the tiger to get it to play. The tigers had already had one play time before us so they weren’t interacting much. The workers didn’t like this much (I guess they wanted to make sure we got what we paid for?) so they would kick and poke the tigers. One lady even yanked on the tigers tail! These tigers were not on drugs. They were not calm. They are also huge. After we left, our tour guide told us about a person who had been mauled a week before in the pit. Here’s a look at how large the tigers are that we were “playing” with.
I have told people since that going in to that pit was probably one of the stupidest decisions I have made in my life. It isn’t safe for the humans or for the tigers.
My friend and I got in a conversation with one of the monks. None of the monks speak good english but this guy was trying his best. When asked if he liked the tigers he said “No. They are mean.” So, don’t think that the tigers and monks have some sort of bond. They don’t.
Also, remember that nothing can be killed on temple grounds. There were many signs telling us that killed meat was brought in daily to feed the tigers. It seemed to be mostly chicken and it didn’t smell too great. (Yes, I handled it. I was allowed to feed some to a young tiger.)
One last thing before I go. There were two sun bears at the temple. Here, check them out.
Notice anything a little off? Thats right, they’re huge. As in, morbidly obese. If the monks/workers can’t give the sun bears the proper nutrition and care that they need, why would you think they can do so for the tigers?
If I had known what I know now I would have never given a dime to Tiger Temple. But, I can’t take it back. I hope this gives people a little inside glimpse of life at the temple. It is not a good environment. It is not safe for you or for the animals. Do not go to tiger temple. Do not support them.
My god…Thank you, deeply for posting this. I have gone at length about the tigers, but I have never spent time on the sun bears. And I am sick. My stomach dropped and I feel like I could cry for these two. That bear in the back…jesus. I know that the tigers are given a horrendous diet(boiled chicken only) so it only makes sense that the sun bears would be subjected to the same thing, but I never imagined. I never would have thought that they would be in such horrendous condition. I am near speechless.
