Located in the Thai province of Kanchanaburi, Wat Pa Luanga Bua Yannasampanno is a monastery dedicated to both Buddhism and the conservation of wildlife.
Instead of trying to pronounce the actual name of this place, most people just call it the Tiger Temple, as it's the home to seventeen full-grown tigers. Seven were orphans rescued from poachers in the wild and the other ten were born and breed at the temple. The tigers seen here are native to Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Southeast China.
For Baht 300 apiece, you can visit the Tiger Temple and have your pictures taken with their inhabitants. I was a little leary about the whole process, but I know many people who've done it without incident, so for the sake of this blog, it seemed like a worthwhile trip.
The tigers appear pretty relaxed, and it is said that this is because they have been reared with compassion by monks and are used to interaction with humans. The fact that they are naturally nocturnal animals hanging out in the blazing heat, is another factor that supposedly contributes to their calm demeanor. Temple literature claims that no one has ever been attacked by the tigers since its inception.
The monastery was built in 1994 by Abbot Pra Acharn Phoosit (Chan) Khantitharo. On the day we were there, he was on hand to ensure that our daughter didn't become lunch (or at the very least, a light snack).
All proceeds received at the Temple are going towards a project to build a new 12-acre home for the tigers that will more closely resemble their natural forest environment. This new enclosure will be used for rehabilitating the next generation of cubs prior to their release back to the forest where they belong.
The current generation of tigers at the monestary will never be released back into the wild because they are too familiar with humans and have lost the ability to hunt and feed themselves. They are destined to spend the rest of their days living in peace at Tiger Temple.
The cost of this project is at least 20 million Baht, and the monastery still needs funds to complete it. Anyone interested in helping out with this cause should visit www.tigertemple.org
We didn't spend too much time at the Tiger Temple. First of all, it was just too hot the day we were there and the place has inadequate areas for shade. Secondly (and most importantly), we felt it was just better to get in, take some photos, and get out. Despite the claims of the monks at Tiger Temple, you just never know with wild animals, especially ones of this size. Now we can say that we did it (and have the pics to prove it) and never have to worry about going back again.
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