Wildlife officials in Thailand have raided a Buddhist temple and removed some of its 137 tigers following accusations the monks were illegally breeding and trafficking the animals.
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Forestry officials and representatives from related agencies meet on Friday to discuss the next relocation plan for the tigers from the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi.
They relented after police obtained a court order.
The animals will be taken to two government animal centres elsewhere in Thailand.
There were 147 tigers at the start of 2016, but officials relocated 10 of them after announcing the closure of the controversial temple, which has been the subject of animal rights groups’ protests for exploiting and mistreating the animals to gain profit.
Recently, amid a global effort to curb the trafficking of wildlife, the Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua Temple, or Tiger Temple, has come under fire for alleged ties to animal abuse and contributing to the illegal trade in tigers.
A previous raid in February 2015 revealed jackals, hornbills and Asian bears kept at the sanctuary without the necessary permits.
Worldwide pressure has spurred action over trafficking. The temple has always denied those allegations.
The founder of One Green Planet, a wildlife protection organization, told the Chiang Rai Times last year, “Thailand’s tiger temple is at the heart of the unfortunate wild animal selfie trend that has emerged in the past few years”. Reports on Twitter from wildlife NGO representatives who were present accused the monks of intentionally trying to thwart the operation by feeding the animals before they could be sedated – which poses safety risks to the animals – and even releasing several of the big cats in an enclosed canyon so they would be harder to catch.
Relocating the animals will take up to seven days to complete, as officials are only able to transport 20 animals a day. Forestry officials intend to remove more tigers from the site on May 30 but the abbot objects.
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The New York Times in May reported temple officials say the tiger attraction earns $3 million a year in ticket revenue, while government officials say it brings in $5.7 million. However, it was revealed past year that the microchips had been cut out of the three adult males that disappeared in December 2014.
