Missing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger Temple

[misskit]

Police, soldiers and relevant park authorities are returning to the so-called Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province today as missing tigers remains a mystery.

They made returning with court order after yesterday inspection of the temple failed to get any progress after the temple refused to give cooperation for the combined team.

The team was conducting an investigation into an alleged disappearance of three tigers from the temple following fresh complaints.

Adisorn Nutdumrong, director-general of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, led police, soldiers, veterinarians and officials from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to the Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Temple to probe the alleged disappearance of three tigers from the temple yesterday.

The three tigers are among seven Bengal tigers which the department under former director general Plodprasob Suraswadee seized from the temple in 2001 but left them under care of the temple after it promised to look after them.

The three missing tigers are 3-7 years of age.

The authorities also brought with them microchip scanners to identify if there is any missing tiger.

Located in Sai Yok district, the temple now houses a total of 146 tigers.

However authorities could not conduct the probe after temple staffs refused to open the temple and unlock tiger cages.

The authorities said they would seek a search warrant from the court and return to the temple again today.

They plan to confiscate all tigers from the temple and transfer them to a sanctuary in Ratchaburi province if they find that the temple is unable to take care of the tigers. Concerned authorities had already impounded more than 100 hornbills from the temple, which are suspected to be involved in illegal trade.

Missing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger Temple - Thai PBS English News

[Kurgen]

no doubt sold to the Chinks in pieces.

Tiger Temple my arse. Lock the 'monks' up if the don't come clean.

[Gazza]

3 missing tigers? Look no further than the Tiger Temple restaurant. You'll probably find them on the menu.

[billy the kid]

no doubt sold to the Chinks in pieces.

chinks give us all the spew about the Panda and how they care for it
while stocking up on Ivory, Tiger bits etc. etc
their cruelty with animals is well known.
Yet we buy the Panda nonsense BS.

[boloa]

Didn't they send the Army in the other day to remove a load of Asian black bears ??

[misskit]

Stand Off Between Monks and Authorities at Tiger Temple



BANGKOK – The Tiger Temple was turned into a chaotic scene of protest when a combined force of over 100 police, soldiers and park officials seized six Asian black bears and tried to take them out of the temple yesterday.

The standoff between officials and monks continued in the morning today.

The officials who were led by national park chief Somsak Pompet came with a court warrant to search the temple again after they were not allowed entry the day earlier to check three missing tigers from the temple.

At the inspection of the temple yesterday, they seized six Asian black or Moon bears after the temple staff could not produce official documents that they were obtained legitimately.

But as officials tried to leave the temple ground with the bears in a cage, they were blocked by almost a hundred of monks and staff led by the abbot.

The monks sat on the front gate in front of the vehicle that carried the cage, blocking the officials to leave.

Negotiation for three hours ended with no success to convince the protesting monks to allow the vehicle to leave.

The deputy governor Boonyasopon Chantara-upai was called in to help negotiate in a second round but also was unsuccessful when the abbot refused to negotiate.

No negotiation was held Thursday night as both sides were still confronting each other at the temple although officials would explain that the standoff could hurt the bears in the cage which might cause them to become exhausted and might die.

Earlier on Wednesday, National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation officials went to the temple to check for three tigers which were suspected to be missing.

The three tigers are among seven Bengal tigers which the department under former director general Plodprasob Suraswadee seized from the temple in 2001 but left them under care of the temple after it promised to look after them. The three missing tigers are 3-7 years of age.

The authorities brought with them microchip scanners to identify but they were not given cooperation to enter or search.

The temple now houses a total of 146 tigers.

The authorities said they would seek a search warrant from the court and return to the temple again yesterday.

They plan to confiscate all tigers from the temple and transfer them to a sanctuary in Ratchaburi province if they find that the temple is unable to take care of the tigers. Concerned authorities had already impounded more than 100 hornbills from the temple, which are suspected to be involved in illegal trade. – Thai PBS

Stand Off Between Monks and Authorities at Tiger Temple | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper

[Sumocakewalk]

The three tigers are among seven Bengal tigers which the department under former director general Plodprasob Suraswadee seized from the temple in 2001 but left them under care of the temple after it promised to look after them. The three missing tigers are 3-7 years of age.

Thai PBS has published the same error twice now. Tigers were seized 14 years ago in 2001 and now they're 3-7 years of age.

Tiger Temple monks are out of control on this one. How dare those authorities who are trying to spoil their good thing.

Would tourists pay to watch a monk a day being fed to the big cats?

[Hans Mann]

In tiger years.

[Mozzbie47]

The monks at that temple are corrupt, there is always some shifty scheme going on there.

[misskit]

Activist to Sue Over Tiger Temple Zoo Permit

By Teeranai Charuvastra
Khao Sod English

KANCHANABURI — An animal rights NGO said today it would take the authorities to the court for granting a zoo permit to a temple notorious for operating an illegal, commercial wildlife business.

Activist Edwin Wiek said Monday the lawsuit would be a “last resort” in his efforts to stop Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno, aka the Tiger Temple, from getting the long-sought permit that would legalize its operations.

“What happened is a clear violation of the regulations, because there are so many pending cases against the temple” said Wiek, who heads Wildlife Friends of Thailand.

more here Activist to Sue Over Tiger Temple Zoo Permit

[Pragmatic]

missing tigers remains a mystery

I believe they are caged at the crocodile farm in Pattaya. I went there over a year ago and all they had were the few tigers that are use for tourist photo's.
On returning 2 months ago all cages were overcrowded with tigers. Too many by far for the close up personal photo's the farm tout.
May be I 'tink to mut'?

[Hans Mann]

Thai Officials Battle Buddhist Monks Over Tigers’ Fate
By RICHARD C. PADDOCKMAY 1, 2016

SAI YOK, Thailand — Saira Tahir, a London lawyer, waved a bamboo pole with a plastic bag affixed to the end high in the air. A 200-pound tiger leapt and swatted it like a house cat batting a string toy.

For her $140 premium admission, Ms. Tahir also bathed a tiger, bottle-fed a cub and posed for a photo with a tiger’s head in her lap.

“It’s a surreal experience being so close to them,” she said. “Even with the tiger’s head in your lap, you can feel the energy. It’s not something you do every day.”

Part Buddhist monastery and part petting zoo, the Tiger Temple in western Thailand has long been the bane of conservationists and animal rights activists who accuse it of abuse and exploitation even as it offers tourists an Edenesque wildlife fantasy.

Now, after complaints of trafficking in endangered species, the government is trying to shut down the attraction. But there are two major obstacles: the temple, which has gone to court to block the closing, and the tigers. What do you do with nearly 150 carnivorous cats raised in captivity?

The government began removing the tigers this year but was ordered to stop after the lawsuit was filed in February. Until the case is resolved, the fate of the tigers is mired in a legal standoff.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/wo...mple.html?_r=0

[billy the kid]

Missing tigers remain a mystery at Tiger Temple

every thing is a fecking mystery in toiland. enough already.

[Baas Babelaas]

These kunts deserve a good thrashing.

Remove the tigers to a safe haven, and wallop the monks.

[wasabi]

It's conservation, modern day conservation, Tigers are on the endangered list, but look how these temple tigers grew in numbers, paid for by tourist dollar.