Abused tigers finally rescued from infamous tiger temple

[Calliegirl]

I've been following Cee4life and Sybelle Foxcroft for a few years (after hearing about them trying to save the starving Surabaya Zoo animals) and their fight to save the tigers from the infamous Thailand tiger temple, where tourist pay to pet and take pictures with tigers. With the corrupt government and lack of animal welfare laws, I didn't think they could do it. I'm so glad I was wrong. After ten years of trying to save them, they've finally succeeded.

Unfortunately, as the temple is being investigated, it's turning out to be worse than anyone imagined. They were thought to be involved in wildlife trafficking and it's turning out that the temple is full of tiger and a few other animal parts. 40+ dead cubs found in freezers, cubs also found preserved in jars, as well as heads (thought to be for tiger wine popular in Vietnam). Also vials full of tiger skin and teeth.

The monks tried to prevent the tigers from being removed by releasing some of them in the hope that they would maul the rescuers and be shot and killed. They truly are an evil group of people. Luckily, the roaming tigers were tranquilized without them or the rescuers being hurt.

I'm so happy that they were finally able to get this place shutdown (hopefully for good, but you never know) and the tigers rescued.

If you want to follow the investigation, this Facebook page was created when they were trying to save them: Security Check Required

Bangkok: After nearly 10 years of investigative work by Cee4life, and two scathing reports on the illegal wildlife trade and other crimes in the Tiger Tiger here, we can now confirm that ALL Tiger Temple Tigers will be removed rapidly from Tiger Temple. The exercise to relocate the Tigers begins today.

Cee4life said that many staff of the Tiger Temple had no idea about the extent of what was coming, however based on a piece of information circulated on social media a couple of days ago, it is now certain that people within the Tiger Temple began to form a plan of action to prevent the remioval of tigers.

Recently, Cee4life had found out the details of what that plan was and have done all that is possible to prevent it from happening.

Cee4life message For the Tiger Temple – DO NOT HURT THE TIGERS...

Cee4life announcement – All tigers to be removed from Tiger Temple

Further updates:
33 more tigers removed from Kanchanaburi temple
Dozens of tiger cub bodies discovered in freezer in Thai Buddhist temple
Thai Tiger Temple Monk Caught Fleeing With Skins, Fangs
Police stop truck carrying 2 tiger skins from Thai temple

A national geographic report from January, when Sybelle was still trying to get the authorities to listen to her: Exclusive: Tiger Temple Accused of Supplying Black Market

 

[robert99]

Tiger Temple investigators find suspected slaughterhouse

Thai police have found what they believe is a slaughterhouse and tiger-holding facility used in a suspected animal trafficking network.

Acting on a tip, officers raided a home about 30 miles from the Tiger Temple, a popular tourist attraction that allows visitors to pose for photos with the tigers and take them for walks.

Investigators believe the house, in an isolated area and surrounded by tall fences, served as a holding facility and slaughterhouse, said police colonel Montri Pancharoen, deputy commander of the crime suppression division, which oversaw the raid.

“We believe it was used by the Tiger Temple to hold live tigers before slaughtering them for their skins, meat and bones to be exported outside the country, or sent to restaurants in Thailand that serve tiger meat to tour groups,” he said.

 

[Calliegirl]

It just gets worse the more they investigate it.

 

[Andy_T]

I am shocked that these people would be calling themselves "buddhist monks".