40 dead tiger cubs found in Thailand temple

At least 40 dead tiger cubs, a dead bear and various ani­mal horns have been found by wildlife officials on the grounds of Thailand’s Ti­ger Temple west of Bang­kok, Thai officials have said.

The bodies of the cubs and bear were found stored in the freezer where the temple kept food for the tigers, Adisorn Nuch­damrong, Deputy Direc­tor-General of the wild­life department, said on Wednesday.

“The temple never regis­tered these dead cubs, they are illegal,” he said.

The Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno, also known as Tiger Temple, is a pop­ular tourist attraction in Kanchanaburi Province, west of Bangkok.

The discovery of dead animals proves that the Ti­ger Temple has been en­gaged in illegal breeding and smuggling activities, said Edwin Wiek, head of the Wildlife Friends Foun­dation of Thailand.

“Under the CITES (Con­vention on International Trade in Endangered Spe­cies) treaty, no wildlife farm or sanctuary can engage in the breeding of protected species,” Wiek told DPA news agency by phone.

“These animals were bred and hidden away. I be­lieve that they were stored to be sold for parts on the black market.”

Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has long accused the Buddhist temple, where tourists can stroke and pose for photos with the big cats, of keeping the animals without a prop­er permit.

The temple has denied claims from conservation­ists that the monks carry out irresponsible breeding programmes, traffic en­dangered species and ille­gally sell the animals.