February 11, 2018 Kalinchenko Dmitry 4 Comments
Tiger Monastery located in the northwest of Kanchanaburi, it takes about half an hour to drive from the city of Kanchanaburi itself. The monastery was founded in 1994 as a shelter for wild animals. Gradually, tiger cubs or tigers were brought to the monastery and by 2011 there were already 85 tigers. I took an excursion on the tourist street of Kanchanaburi, it cost about 400 baht and was simply a ride in an ordinary tuk-tuk to the monastery and back, having arrived there you had already You go for a walk around the monastery on your own, the main thing is to come back to the tuk-tuk on time.
I was traveling with a small group of Europeans, they immediately huddled together and walked together, and I was on my own. As you pass the gate, you simply walk through the territory, the ground is orange-red everywhere, wild boars, deer and all sorts of other animals graze everywhere. After walking about 300 meters, go to the canyon, where on the lower right there will be the location of the tigers and all the shows, and if you go further, you will come to a large wall with a gate, behind which are cages with tigers and other locations.
The show with tigers starts at 15:30 and costs 500 baht, we didn’t get to see it, but the show is interesting, tigers jump, fight, etc. A photo with a tiger costs 1000 baht, naturally I refused, the prices are astronomical, but those Europeans for whom this is the pinnacle of exoticism went to take a photo. The tigers, as usual, lie on the ground, with a chain around their necks, all calm. Feeding tiger cubs 1000 baht. There is a more interesting and expensive program.
Since we were late for the show, and I had already taken a photo with the tiger before, I went to see what else was there. I came to the large walls and went up, then you need to move directly along the wall, since behind the walls, on the ground, there are cages with tigers.
The whole area below is tiger territory. It all looks more like a zone or a prison, with a lot of thorns everywhere. Some tigers large territory with houses, others just have cages.
The territory is a little stylized, in some places there are some mushrooms, logs, benches, etc.
Having reached the end, we go down the path down to the ground, the views here are fabulous, the ground is red, the trees are not at all Thai, as if we were not in Thailand.
Some of the Europeans immediately arrived and we went to explore the territory. We walked along a path through the forest, there are Buddhist houses, wild boars, deer, and all sorts of birds are running around the forest.
There are broken bottles on the fence. 
Quad bike worker, worker has arrived Having passed through the forest, we entered another territory, first we met a bear cub, which was being fed in a cage, then we approached the place where a tiger had already been brought for FREE photography, let me remind you that at the entrance it cost 1000 baht. The tiger was simply led like a dog by a leash. Immediately there was a line of people wanting to take a photo with the tiger for free)) A couple of people made it, and then the tiger’s mood changed and everyone was asked to leave.
After the tiger we went to the exit, and this was the end of our excursion.
And now the most important and sad thing!
Arriving here a year later (October 2016), I discovered that there were no tigers here anymore! At the entrance we were told that simple animals remained, but the tigers were taken away, most likely due to their inappropriate keeping and the illegal activities of the monastery in relation to tigers. There was an inspection by police and DNP representatives, which resulted in the discovery of 40 dead tiger cubs, and suspicion of tiger breeding for the purpose of trade with Laos. It was also illegal to make circus animals out of tigers for the sake of making a profit from tourists.
Such are the things.
Now the monastery is closed.
Big cats have always fascinated me with their power and grace! However, I have seen few tigers in my life, mostly animals from the zoo. But through bars or fences it is not always possible to see the animal or make good shot. At such moments, you begin to slightly envy those people who were able to capture a tiger in their photographs close-up, without bars or fences. Having learned about the tiger monastery in Thailand, where you can not only go on a tour, but also become a volunteer, my joy knew no bounds! Regarding volunteering, the question somehow disappeared by itself, because applications were accepted there at least six months before arrival. But we still managed to attend one of the excursions! A tiger in the desktop picture on your monitor and a tiger a meter in front of you - these are such surprisingly different sensations :) First, photos and impressions, and at the end some useful information.
Our journey began with a half-hour search for transport to the Tiger Monastery at the bus station. As it turned out, the bus arrived unnoticed, but we happened to see this after we had bought tickets for the minibus.
We got there quickly, and even fell asleep on the comfortable seats along the way)) The kind Thais woke us up on time, so, fortunately, we were not late for the excursion. We get out of the minibus, and across the road we are greeted by a giant gate in the shape of a tiger's head with an open mouth!
It was not close to the entrance to the park, about 1 km. But luck smiled on us! Volunteers of this monastery drove past in a pickup truck)) So we again enjoyed Thai hitchhiking in the back of a car. Before entering the monastery territory, we bought a ticket for the excursion. We signed on it that if something happens (well, suddenly the tiger decides to bite us in a friendly manner), it will be our own fault:) There are several types of excursions offered, we chose the most popular one for 600 baht. By the way, in February 2015, the monks were accused of illegal trade in animals, and soon all tigers should be removed from the territory of the monastery. We don't know where the truth is. Perhaps we got on one of the last excursions, and if it is closed, you have the opportunity, if not to go, then to look at the photographs.
The journey into the world of tigers begins with Thai volunteers bringing out the tigers one by one. And the tigers so lazily trudge along and don’t even look at the crowd of tourists-onlookers standing 2 meters away from them
After the tigers were taken away, tourists who were already thirsty for spectacles and selfies were finally allowed into the territory of the monastery. On the way, it turned out that not only tigers lived here, but also some birds that looked like toucans, a herd of buffalos, a couple of deer and three Himalayan bears in cages. The whole area is fairly dry, but there is still a fair amount of greenery and even a small pond, I suppose, for the horned inhabitants to bathe and drink from.
The first thing that surprised my mind and destroyed stereotypes was how relaxed the volunteers behaved around the animals. As if these are not big and dangerous tigers, but cute domestic cats! :)
Most of the volunteers were hanging out on their phones, and it looked quite funny, especially considering that the tigers were literally under their feet!)) Such a typical Facebook minute in the middle of a working day!
A typical day at the tiger monastery in Kanchanaburi
Everyone is on their smartphones :) The volunteers have their own things to do, but the monks are busy introducing little tiger cubs and teenage tiger cubs to their leader and other males. There were no females here; they were sitting in their enclosures. The reason for this is simple - everything is done to ensure that the tigers remain as calm as possible around tourists. Of course, it is very touching to watch how the monk cuddles small and large tiger cubs!
The whole excursion is more like a photo carousel. An endless stream of tourists who are photographed only by volunteers, because tourists themselves are strictly forbidden to photograph each other on their own in order to avoid any misunderstandings bitten off by a tiger :) The main thing is to set the correct settings on the camera in advance, because volunteers indiscriminately click you several times in a row, sometimes without even looking at on the monitor, not in the eye of the camera)) What comes out, comes out! One of the volunteers sits you down next to the tiger, puts your hand on its back... or leg :) And the other takes several shots for you from different points.
Anya's dream came true :)
The zoom lens on your camera is a real life saver)) You can take those coveted portraits of mustachioed and striped predators from a little distance away!
He doesn't grin, he just yawns :)
Tiger in Kanchanaburi
The main thing is not to relax! Otherwise, you turn away and the tiger has already eaten the monk))) Just kidding, they give tigers their old clothes as toys. Tigers, although they are big, are still the same playful and funny cats!
And you can go even further! Smiling broadly, ask volunteers to photograph the tiger very closely. Tourists are not allowed, but volunteers are allowed!)) It’s a joy for the volunteers, and it’s great for me! But the tigers don’t care)) For the most part, they doze sweetly and bask in the shade of the trees.
I have no more strength with these tourists! It's time to sleep!
But still, while volunteers are watching over the tourists who are being photographed, you can seize the moment and take some wonderful photos a little closer than allowed! :)
Separately, a little further from everyone else, the leader is tied to a tree. A huge tiger, to which the monk continually brings new tiger inhabitants of this monastery. By the way, each tiger has its own tree, its own place where they sit on a chain, enjoying the shade of these same trees.
Tiger Monastery, Kanchanaburi
After the photo sessions near the trees, a slightly more active performance begins. A line of 10-15 people lines up, then everyone gives their camera to a volunteer and everyone waits until the first tiger is untied and a new photo session begins))
You don't have to wait long. The first human caterpillar follows the tiger to the next photo location. Soon it was our turn. Literally for half a minute they give you a leash, put your free hand on the tiger and take a few pictures. Half a minute of extraterrestrial happiness and the feeling of powerful muscle rolls under your hand.
Finally, the tour comes to the final station of the photo tour. And here, too, each tiger has its own place. But here, for entry, they are already asking you to buy some kind of souvenir and thus make a donation. By this time we had already taken enough photographs.
However, while waiting for all the tourists to gather in one place to begin this stage, I still managed to capture the striped beauties through the fence))
When the bulk of the tourists went for another photo stop, we snuck away to look around. Along the way I squeezed the buffaloes. You can't really cuddle with tigers, so at least you can get even with buffaloes))
Tigers, it turns out, have their own cascading pool! Tigers, unlike most felines, love to splash in the water, especially on a hot day.
At the end of our walk we came across an enclosure with tiger cubs. Those who purchased a separate excursion enjoyed playing with these kittens.
Overall, the tour aimed to ensure that people walked away with photos of the tigers and themselves next to them. Those who took an excursion with the tiger cubs received communication. There you could feed them and play with them. We really liked our version of the excursion! Seeing such wonderful animals live is a great pleasant experience for a lifetime, and besides, beautiful pictures as a keepsake!
Types of excursions and their costs
Regular program
We just walked along this one. It starts at 12.00 and ends at 16.00, the time inside is also scheduled: when the tigers are walking along the canyon, when photography is taking place, etc. However, no one forbids you to leave early if you have already had a lot of conversations with the tigers. Cost: 600 baht, no age restrictions.
Morning program
Starts at 07.30 and ends at 11.00. This is the most expensive and intense program - there is breakfast with the monks, feeding of tiger cubs, and photography. The cost is 5,000 baht; small children are not allowed on this excursion.
Evening program
After the heat of the day, when tigers are just lying around (as you can see), in the evening they perk up and begin to behave more actively. You can watch this on the evening program from 15.30 to 16.15. Cost - 500 baht.
How to get to the monastery with tigers?
First you need to get to the city of Kanchanaburi. To do this, it is best to come to the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) in Bangkok and take a bus for 130 baht, the journey will take about 3 hours. Buses leave quite frequently. How to get to the southern bus station from different places in the capital was written in a separate article about.
Tiger Monastery or Tiger Temple is located 38 kilometers northwest of Kanchanaburi. To get there, you need to take bus 8203 from the bus station, which goes to Sai Yok Park and on the way passes the fork to the tiger temple - ask the driver to drop you off. From the fork it’s another 1.5 km, but you can hitchhike like we did. With your vehicle, take Route 323 from Kanchanaburi, and after about 38 km you will see the tiger head gate on the right. You should go there!
Kanchanaburi Bus Station
"I went to the monastery."
I have a neighbor. I believe that you do too. So, I met my neighbor in the dacha, Natasha, whom I had seen last time about 200 years ago. I know (and knowledge is power) that she left for Thailand a long time ago. Sit comfortably on your knees, I’ll tell you how it was:
Natalya-san, having had her fill of bumping around in the Moscow metro, riding in minibuses, and being fed up with the Moscow fumes and dust, pulled herself together and, just like that, went to Thailand to the tiger monastery as a volunteer, pre Possibly for a month. Buddhist monks and volunteers live, live and make good in the monastery. One month turned into several, and one of the monks turned into her husband. (Interesting: in Buddhism you can be a monk “temporarily”, unlike Orthodoxy, on the contrary, every Thai should live monastic life at least a month.)
A handsome son, Nathan (the name from the first syllables is the name of Natasha and her husband), was born; the family decided to stay and live in Thailand. They live completely organic and vegetarian, teach detox and massage.
I asked Natalya what and how, it turned out to be not so difficult: submit an application on the website (you need to know spoken English and at least a month of volunteering) and, if approved, go. The Facebook name of Tiger Temple Thailand is Official, there is also a profile there. https://www.facebook.com/TigerTempleTH/?fref=ts
or there is a link on Facebook 
Without telling anyone, I sent a letter to the representatives of the tiger corner, received an answer (the second time, really) and that’s it, they were waiting for me. The goal is not so much to relax as to get a portion of new impressions and escape from winter and Moscow.
You will have to pay for the flight yourself, but at the monastery you will be fed, given something to drink and put to bed. Clothes: you don’t need to take a hair shirt and chains, but take trousers that cover your knees (the monks watch), buy a volunteer T-shirt upon arrival (300 baht). The rest is at your discretion.
ALL INFO IS CURRENT AS OF MARCH 2016, BUT CONTINUOUS CHANGES IN ALL ASPECTS...
Tickets: A crooked ticket costs 5,000 rubles cheaper, but that means almost 15 hours of waiting at airports + jerking during delays, + the cheapest one - without luggage, cannot be changed, and so on. With the generous hand of a sower I take a direct Aeroflot ticket. (37,500 rubles). Moscow-Bangkok-Moscow.
Visa/Insurance/Hepatitis A vaccination: in all cases no. A visa - I can go 30 days without a visa, but for 1 day it’s easier to pay a fine of 500 baht for 1 day, which is what I did. Insurance for 30 days is very expensive (from 6,000 rubles). I planned to get vaccinated, I just didn’t have time, relying on chance.
Arrival:After arrival, I took a taxi to the bus station. Taxi driversAs soon as they see Europeans, they immediately cheat them. (as do our taxi drivers for foreigners at the airport). Make a sour face, name a smaller amount and crawl away to other taxi drivers. You can always agree to the specified amount(a new station 45 km from Bangkok), there is also a bus 45 km to Kanchanaduri, where I took a rickshaw to the guesthouse. In the morning I took a bus to Tiger Temple (from the bus station there is a bus along the Sai Yok road, tell (it’s better to show in Thai) the conductor where. The conductor is not in a hurry, the conductor helps. There in the heat it’s about 3 km on foot.
TAMA: The eldest volunteer is the cheerful Juice, an Australian who has been involved in organizational issues of volunteering at the monastery for 7 years. We filled out the necessary papers and explained several rules of conduct in the monastery. It is forbidden talk to the monks until they contact you themselves.. It is forbidden touch them (even if you need to give him something, you need to put it down and he will take it. Also it is forbidden sit with your feet next to the monks, expose yourself (exposed shoulders and knees), sit next to them and on the same level, etc.
I introduced it to other volunteers; at the beginning of the month there were 7 of us (5 girls and 2 guys). Ireland, America, England, 2-Russia (another Sveta, but from Ufa), Italy, France.
Job: in short. In the morning, from 7 to 11, we work with animals or their waste products. (Breakfast at 8-00, about 30 minutes.) We walk with the tiger cubs (we have 1 so far, and even then, the big boy is 7 months old). Sometimes we make toys for tigers: these are crunchy animal food bags that need to be filled with different types of poop. (I'm serious) + equip this bag with an empty coconut with pebbles inside and all sorts of tubes and strings. And add mint mouth freshener to the coconut, tigers simply adore it. On the topic of “how I spent my vacation,” clipping: I went through garbage dumps looking for an empty bag of dog food, and then collected shit of different types - boar, horse and deer, in order to make a tiger rattle.
New volunteers practically don’t work with big tigers, it’s dangerous. But you can always take more photos as a guest.
Lunch from 11 to 12. From 12 to 16 - work with guests. We guide them, explain the rules, organize them. From 16 to 18 consolidated hours. At 18-00 the gong rings and we must (although no one explained why) go to prayers. We put on white clothes and sit in the monastery listening to Thai prayers for 50 minutes. In truth, everyone takes their phones and sits on them. Wi-Fi is available in the monastery, although it sounds blasphemous “There is Wi-Fi in the church.” After prayers, free time. Most are glued to their phones.
With language problems, sometimes many confusing situations arise. For example, when Juce explained the rules “not to touch monks and, out of respect for monks, you cannot show them to turn your feet towards them,” Sveta understood the word Monk (monk) as the word Monkey (monkey). She, according to her, stood and wondered why she could touch a tiger, but could not touch a monkey?
Or they tried to get through to me for a long time that terrible sounds like bear growls are made by “Dear” (Dear or Dove). What the hell kind of pigeon growls like that? I ask, maybe “Bear? ” It turned out that the dove was the Deer “Deer”. Although in general, my English is enough for me, since the majority of Thai guests do not speak English at all, and the guests themselves are from different countries Europe as a whole. There are very few Russians. Once I came across a Ukrainian couple, I heard that they were talking to each other in Russian and I said in human language, “Like, if it’s convenient, would you like me to explain the rules to you in Russian?” The girl is silent, and the guy became a bright red apple and answers in English, “We are from Ukraine, so speak to us in English.” Then we stood in line and just left without any photographs. We also left in English. without saying goodbye.
Abbot of this monastery is a very famous and influential person, we see him every day at morning breakfast. Some people respect him very much, others can't stand him. Since I did not have the good fortune to communicate with him personally, I have no personal opinion about him. But what seemed strange to me was that his photographs with influential lyulmas, posters, newspaper clippings are just everywhere in the temple. Somehow immodest for an abbot, but maybe such a “cult of personality” is common in Buddhism.But in general, the monastery does not have a very good reputation due to a not very well organized program, where not all guests understand what to do on the territory and what exactly is included in the program, dirt (toilets, the territory itself) and rumors about what is being tortured here tigers. One Australian woman was especially successful in rumors about the exploitation of animals, who simply set herself the goal of doing everything possible to tarnish the reputation of the monastery. I won’t do an ugly retelling, you can look at everything in Wikp.https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BC%D0 %BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D1%80%D1%8C
I can’t say anything bad about the conditions of the tigers, they have normal cages and everyone has time to walk freely in a separate area (with trees, grass and toys.) But I don’t particularly like the Thai staff (in my subjective opinion). The area around is dirty, the toilets are dirty, there is no service. Thais either sit on their phones, or put on makeup in front of guests, or laugh or eat. There are, however, 10% absolutely wonderful people who have been working for more than 5 years, are very attached to tigers, and treat guests and volunteers with respect (Jang, Mang, Yod and Pim, for example).
I can't help but mention the cats on the property. They are fit, with or without crooked tails (this is their genetics) and excellent hunters. (there are our cats - Tyson, Zombie, Mash Mash and Puma, and there are wild ones - they are not suitable for people). Only one day I saw how Mash Mash caught and strangled a pigeon, 2 hours later I was already playing with a caught squirrel, and in the evening I tried to bury a dead mouse in my room. These cats also actively destroy all kinds of multi-legged creatures, spiders and scorpions. (and all this is common among us and tries to slip through any cracks), so everyone is trying to take a cat into their room at night. One night, the small but most active cat Tyson began jumping around the room at 3 am. Well, I think now I’ll caress him with my slipper. I turn on the light, and he runs after the scolopendra, a multi-legged poisonous creature about 10 cm. It’s not clear what cracks it got through, but I was afraid to touch it, I swept it out of the room.
Food: Monks eat once a day at approximately 8:30, but volunteers are not monks. Volunteers have breakfast (quite a plentiful buffet with everyone), lunch (freshly cooked chicken soup) and dinner (what you put in a bowl or bag from breakfast). For breakfast, usually rice, about 8 different trays with dishes (vegetables, fish, meat), fruits and sweets. For the most part, none of the volunteers understands what we are eating: some sticks, circles, strings under hot sauce with vegetables and seasonings. Tasty and spicy. Standard dialogue when placing on plates
-What is this?
-Don't know. (try). I still don't know what it is...
+ 2 times a week we are taken to the local market, we buy grub there, some fruits, some vegetables, some milk (the Thais do not have dairy products on the menu), fried meat is very cheap and tasty (pork and chicken - all kinds of parts of chicken on a stick. K on a stick)))).
Tigers and more:There are 143 tigers on the territory of the monastery. (already 138, February 24, 2016). (Buffalos, wild boars, deer, horses, alien cows, rabbits, civets (!), Malayan bear, peacocks, peacocks do not count). But only about 20 tigers are brought out for photographs with people, those who are not older than 4 years. After 4 years (approximately), tigers begin to behave “like adults” and fight among themselves for territory. It is already dangerous for guests to work with them; they are unpredictable. Little tigers are not born in the monastery every year; this year 2 tigresses gave birth, but the cubs died. In one case, because their mother did not take care of them, in another they were taken from the same mother, but they still died, although they were fed and kept in a separate “incubator”. By the way, here is a photo of the last baby, Chris
I took a picture of him, not knowing that the baby would die.There is another lion, he came to the monastery almost as an adult wildlife, so he doesn’t let people near him, he’s aggressive. + he has a drama: his sister died in a monastery,
positively from a cobra bite. Her staff found her dead in the morning. Now he is alone in a huge Voltaire with territory, but I still feel sorry for him. At night his roar can be heard right in our house, which is 400 meters from Voltaire. (the wiki says up to 4 km, but I didn’t run 4 km).
It is not the monks who take care of the tigers (there are too few of them, about 20, and the monks have different goals). Thai staff, (100 people approximately, 90% of one misunderstanding)4 international staff and 7 volunteers. Everyone except the monks and volunteers live outside the monastery and receive a salary. Good, but small.
The international staff (Europeans) are all very attached to tigers, they all started as volunteers, but stayed to work for a small salary in order to be close to the tigers. The international staff led by Juice is in the minority, but they are driven by love and respect for tigers.
One of the most popular questions from guests is: “Is it true that you drug tigers and that’s why they are so calm?” Not true. All the tigers of the monastery grew up here and were fed by people. Tigers are given only boiled chicken (5-8 chickens each) with vitamins, chicken soup and grass (like all cats). That is why the monastery is closed to guests at about 16-00, because when it gets dark, the tigers become more active. Therefore, all “games and performances” are only in the morning and evening programs, when it is not so hot and the tigers are more active. Tigers that do not work with tourists also lie around during the day and sleep.
Tanya from England (working here for 6 years) distinguishes all living tigers by their faces. “Can’t you see the difference?” Tanya wondered, pointing at the photo of tigers on her phone, which to me were the same photo. “This handsome guy,” Tanya made a face and stretched out her lips. “And this one is like a monkey,” and made an appropriate face. Well, maybe I saw the difference between the monkey and the handsome one, but the rest - well, a striped tiger and a tiger.
Unfortunately, the monastery’s quarrel with the government leads to the fact that tigers raised here are taken away under the banner of “save the tigers from the monastery.” Everything would be fine if they were given good conditions, but the guys who have been working here for years sometimes come to visit “their tigers and bears” and bring them toys and food. According to their reviews, tigers are being relocated to poor conditions. Yes, they are not kept on chains, but they are not allowed to walk anywhere either. (Unlike the monastery, here each tiger has hours of free roaming around the territory of the tiger island.) They are simply put in a cage (I saw a photo) and, according to rumors, then some are resold to China for crazy money.I don’t know about the rumors, but the cells in their DNP are ugly and small. When I left (March, 2016) the war with DNP was going on full swing, posts-refutations-comments, etc. Another chase for money, where tigers become the victims.
Volunteers:In general, our team is not bad, but everyone is on their own, rarely does anyone really help when it comes to work. I didn’t see any teamwork. Plus, I’m surprised that no one (except Sveta, me and Andrea) wants to clean the common areas.
Upon arrival, our shower room had a clogged drain and all the dirty water took up half of the entire bathroom floor. You stand under the shower, and your feet are in dirty water. I ask: what about the drain? Yes, it’s always been like this, they say. I take a stick, poke it into the hole in the wall - that’s it, all the dirty water goes away, since the hole was simply clogged, and from under the dirty water it was not visible. I cleaned the floor clean and without water. Wow, they say, how are you doing that?
The floors are not washed, no one throws out the garbage, no one thought to wash it. Thanks to Sveta, together we took out the public trash, swept and washed the floor... But within a week everything returned to its place. I said, the guys need to take out the trash, we already took it out. Yes, let's face it, they say you have problems with cleaning. We are tired, and here you are with your garbage. Relax.
If the kitchen is not locked, the fattest pig named Sausage comes and smashes everything there to smithereens + eats everything he finds in the area 50 cm from the floor. But even after the destruction of Sausage near Stalininrad, there will be no one willing to remove the result of the Sausage defeat. Yes, it’s funny, you can take a photo and they’ll laugh, but to remove it, no...
I didn’t want to quarrel with anyone because of the dirt, but I didn’t think it was necessary to clean everything up all the time. I found a compromise - I went to work time while everyone was working to clean the common kitchen and take out the common trash.I think that we would leave 1 hour a day public Works in common areas and the problem would be solved.
Or maybe I’m such a bore...everywhere with my own standards.
Overall: I'm glad I had this experience and great photos. It’s a pity that such a beautiful place (the sounds of the night are incomparable, the starry sky, clean air and animals everywhere) is a little left to chance. (service and cleanliness). I wish this place good employees and the opportunity to implement grandiose plans for the “tigers of freedom - people in cages.” Kind of like a safari.
Do I recommend volunteering here? If you are not afraid of work, you have an understanding that no one will let you get close to big tigers, only together with staff or working with tiger cubs (if they appear), then I highly recommend it. In addition, this program is free, you only need to pay for the tickets. (who doesn’t know, most volunteer programs require an entrance fee. Which one depends on the direction).
Interesting info: Tiger stripes are as individual as a fingerprint. + the stripes on a tiger's fur are "duplicated" on its skin, and if you shave it, it will still be striped. Tigers are not able to purr.
Main (selective) photographs: 70 pcs.
The question of what the monks live on doesn’t seem to be worth it. Crowds of tourists flock to the monastery. For $20 anyone in daytime hours They let you inside and even allowed you to take a photo, placing your hand on the predator or its head on your lap. Now they won't. A Buddhist monastery is at the center of a scandal - the abbot seems to have decided to do a very cool business.
The carcasses of another 30 dead tiger cubs were found on the territory of the Tiger Monastery in Kanchanaburi province in western Thailand, where just a few days ago 40 dead cubs of these animals included in the Red Book were found.
“The bodies of the tiger cubs are preserved in large glass jars. Judging by the inscriptions on them, most of them died when they were only a few days old,” Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy head of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Protection, told reporters.
According to him, department specialists also found two skins of an adult Bengal tiger, as well as about a thousand amulets made from various parts carcasses of these wild animals.
“We found tiger skins and amulets in a car in which one of the monastery workers tried to take them out of the territory,” said Adisorn Nuchdamrong. He noted that his employees, accompanied by police officers, are continuing the evacuation of tigers from the monastery, which began four days ago by court order. More than 80 wild cats that lived here have already been removed.
A few days ago, employees of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Protection discovered 40 dead tiger cubs in the monastery refrigerator, where food for the animals was stored. The remains of other animals were also found, in particular, the binturong: this mammal from the raccoon family is under state protection in Thailand.
Experts are investigating the origin of the tiger offspring. If it turns out that the little predators were born within the monastery walls, the monastery management will face charges of illegally breeding animals included in the Red Book, including for the purpose of selling on the “black market.”
Previously, employees of the kingdom's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Protection had repeatedly tried to remove animals from the territory of the monastery, but each time they were met with rebuff. At some point, the warring parties even managed to come to an agreement on the continued residence of striped cats on the territory of the sanctuary under the supervision of the authorities, but in the end all agreements were violated.
Problems at the Tiger Monastery began when officials accused the monks of being involved in wildlife trafficking. However, the department did not previously have sufficient evidence. The monks have also been repeatedly accused of feeding their pets drugs, turning the predators into weak-willed ones. big cats, which any tourist can fearlessly hold by the tail. The monastery has repeatedly denied all accusations.
The Buddhist monastery was no different from hundreds of others until 1999, when local residents brought there the first tiger cub, left without a mother who was killed by poachers. From that moment on, the monks began to accept and tame small predators. Most of the tigers living here were born within the monastery walls.