Thailand's Tiger Temple accused of illegal trafficking after 40 dead tiger cubs discovered in freezer
Officials discovered 40 dead tiger cubs in a freezer at Thailand's Tiger Temple on Wednesday, embroiling the popular tourist attraction even deeper into controversy by raising concerns about the temple's participation in the illegal trafficking of endangered animal parts.
Officials were working to remove adult tigers from the temple due to complaints that it was trafficking endangered species after three live adult tigers mysteriously vanished, The New York Times reports. The temple, which is a Buddhist monastery, has rejected all accusations of trafficking, abusing, or exploiting the tigers. "We have declared all the deaths to the officials over years," said Supitpong Pakdjarung, who runs the business side of the temple. "They've known about these carcasses for a long time."
The temple is a popular tourist destination, charging visitors up to $140 to bathe, hand-feed, or play with the tigers. It once housed 148 tigers, although Thailand has now seized all but 85 and hopes to remove the rest by Friday. According to officials, the temple does not have documentation proving ownership of the tigers, and therefore they belong to the government.
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Tiger parts fetch a high price in many Asian countries, like China, where they are illegally used in traditional medicines.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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