Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua

Monk with tigers in the outdoor enclosure of Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua

The Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua (full name: Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno , Thai วัด ป่า หลวง ตาม หา บัว ญาณ สั ม ปัน โน ) is a Buddhist "forest temple" (Thai Wat Pa ) in the western part of central Thailand . The temple became internationally known as the "Tiger Temple" through several television productions , as several large animals, especially tigers, were housed in the outdoor enclosures of the temple.

location

Tiger Temple is located in the Thai district Mueang of Kanchanaburi province near the border with Myanmar , about 37 km northwest of the town of Kanchanaburi on the expressway 323rd

history

The temple was founded in 1994 by the current abbot Phra Ajahn Phusit Khantitharo at the suggestion of his teacher, the Phra Ajahn Maha Bua Nyanasampanno , in honor of whom the name was also chosen, as a forest temple and refuge for wild animals. King Bhumibol donated a Buddha statue ( Golden Jubilee Buddha Image ), which consists of 80 kg of gold , on the occasion of his 50th throne jubilee in 1996 . Ajahn Maha Bua was also present at the gold pouring ceremony.

Tigers were kept in large cages on the temple grounds. These were mostly not indigenous to Thailand King Tiger and partly against the usual rules bred hybrids . A separated canyon on the temple grounds served as a spacious area for exercises, which tourists could also watch every afternoon. The temple also ran an Animal Rescue Center , which was established in 1995 and funded entirely by donations. Unwelcome pets were left here, and injured bears should also be healed. In addition, numerous wild animals were kept in enclosures on the temple grounds.

Investigations and Violations

In a 2008 report by the animal and species protection organization Care for the Wild , the temple was accused of cruelty to animals because the tigers were not kept and nourished appropriately and they were made compliant by questionable methods. Care for the Wild also accused the temple of illegal animal trade and that tourist encounters with the animals were life-threatening.

In January 2016, the animal welfare organization Cee4life submitted a report that also found violations of the principles of appropriate animal welfare (poor nutrition, housing, hygiene, withholding necessary veterinary treatment for diseases, physical abuse), illegal wildlife trade , violations of international ( Washington Convention ) and Thai law as well as the principles of Buddhism, safety risks for visitors and threats to (former) volunteers who have drawn attention to grievances. According to Cee4life , three tigers who allegedly disappeared in December 2014 are said to have been killed on the temple grounds and their carcasses subsequently sold. National Geographic magazine reported on this in detail.

On January 28, 2016, the Thai Conservation Agency removed five of the more than 140 tigers from the temple and handed them over to wildlife protection centers. The temple is an annual turnover of about 100 million baht (about three million dollars US ) have recorded.

At the end of May 2016, the temple was closed to tourist traffic. The police, the military, and game rangers raided and began relocating the big cats. The carcasses of 40 newborn tiger cubs and a binturong were discovered in a freezer. Various animal entrails and horns, specimens of hornbill species threatened with extinction and a lion kept in hiding were also found. According to a representative of the national park authority, the young died only a few days before the raid. However, the temple had not reported any tiger births to the government for months. This points to the cover-up of illegal rearing. The abbot's secretary was picked up on June 2nd with two tiger skins, ten tiger teeth and over a thousand amulets, each containing a small piece of tiger skin. Investigations into suspected wildlife smuggling were launched against him and four other people. On June 3, 30 more young tiger carcasses soaked in formaldehyde were seized.