As promised Thursday by wildlife officials, Kanchanaburi’s infamous “Tiger Temple” will no longer be able to sell tickets for its tiger-petting zoo.
Although the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation won some concessions and assurances from the temple, which has been accused of engaging in trafficking the very animals it claims to protect, officials turned tail and retreated from a vow to seize the facility’s nearly 150 big cats.
READ: ‘Tiger Temple’ to keep its big cats tomorrow
On Friday wildlife officials visited the temple to negotiate how it could keep its 147 Bengal tigers, ending extended conflict once again in the temple’s favor several months after its veterinarian accused it of selling three animals.
On several occasions government inspectors met stiff resistance to conducting its work from staff and monks at the temple, but succeeded in removing about 100 trafficked birds and a few moon bears from its grounds.
The temple was disallowed from selling tickets because it is not licensed as a zoo. Although it can’t collect money for entry, the temple will be allowed to solicit “donations” for food, officials said.
The temple also said it would stop breeding the tigers, who have increased in number from 10 to 147.
Photo: Roger Howard
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