Thailand's Tiger Temple's controversial history

Thailand's infamous Tiger Temple made headlines this week after a raid revealed the bodies of dozens of dead cubs hidden in kitchen freezers.

However, this isn't the first scandal to hit the popular tourist attraction; animal rights campaigners have long accused the Buddhist monks of animal abuse, illegal breeding and smuggling.

What is it?

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Lying just a few hours north of Bangkok, in the Kanchanaburi province, the temple draws in hordes of visitors every year. Tourists are allowed to pet and play with the tigers, take photos with them and even bottle-feed the cubs.

Entry costs 600 Thai Baht (£11), but additional fees and "optional donations" can see the individual cost of the experience soar into the thousands.

The first tiger arrived in 1999 and the temple now boasts more than 100 of the wild cats, with monks claiming that the centre carries out important conservation work.

"As the Tiger Temple tells it, the first cub had been ordered to be stuffed like a trophy after her mother was killed by poachers," says the Washington Post. "But in the care of the temple's monks, she found her new home."

What happened this week?

Armed with a court order, Thai authorities and animal charities shut down the temple to begin a large-scale raid of the premises. It was during the search that they made the grim discovery of at least 40 dead tiger cubs that had been hidden in the kitchen's freezers.

More than 60 live animals have so far been rescued from the temple. They will be taken to government breeding centres, as experts say they would not be able to survive in the wild. Police have also detained a monk who attempted to flee the temple in a truck carrying tiger skins and fangs.

How long has this been going on for?

Animal rights groups, tourists and former employees have been making allegations of mistreatment, illegal breeding and trafficking for years. They claim animals are beaten, badly fed, often sedated and kept in small cages. In January, a report by Australian non-profit Cee4life claimed the temple had engaged in the illegal tiger trade for more than a decade. The monks deny any wrongdoing.

"The allegations contradict the temple's image of a sanctuary devoted to wildlife conservation, a place where monks live in harmony with tigers," reports National Geographic.

But proving criminal activity within any religious institution isn't easy, it adds. "In Thailand, a devout Buddhist country, it's challenging to even accuse, let alone prosecute, a monk."