Thai wildlife officials start removing tigers from temple
Thai wildlife officials load a tiger into a
cage on a truck after they removed it from an enclosure at the Wat Pha
Luang Ta Bua Tiger Temple. Photo / Getty
Wildlife officials in Thailand on Monday began removing some of the
137 tigers held at a Buddhist temple following accusations that the
monks were involved in illegal breeding and trafficking of the animals.
The
director of Thailand's Wildlife Conservation Office, Teunjai
Noochdumrong, said three tigers were tranquilised and transported
yesterday in an operation involving about 1000 state personnel that is
expected to continue for a week.
The animals will be taken to three government animal refuges elsewhere in Thailand. The monks have resisted previous attempts to
remove the tigers from the temple, a popular destination for tourists.
Photo / Getty The temple, a popular money-earning tourist attraction in
the western province of Kanchanaburi, has been criticised by animal
rights activists because of allegations it is not properly set up to
care for the animals and flouted regulations restricting their trade.
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