A Buddhist monastery in Thailand where monks and tigers live together has become famous worldwide. Spiritual marvel? Or animal exploitation? ABC News visited the Tiger Temple to find out.
(Clarissa Ward/ABC)More Photos
The abbot has hired more than 50 people to help care for his growing family and growing business. Margarita Steinhardt first came to the temple from Russia seven years ago and is now one of the head caretakers of the tigers.
"Somebody mentioned that there is a monastery where you can come and look at the tigers if you want. I did and they had little cubs at the time," she said. "As soon as I saw them and touched them I just lost myself to them. I asked the abbot if I could stay, and he said all right, and then I stayed on and on and on."
As with the rest of the staff, Steinhardt, who was studying conservation biology in Australia before arriving at the temple, had little prior experience working with animals. The monastery has invited some animal experts to visit, including one famous Canadian trainer, but the animals' daily care is left to the monks and other staffers rather than trained animal professionals. They turn to local veterinarians when the tigers get sick.
Tourists visiting the Tiger Temple pay big money: anything from $15 just for entry, up to $50 for the very special photograph of a tiger with its head in your lap. The temple says the money goes toward caring for the tigers (each animal eats 13 pounds of meat a day) and construction of "Tiger Island," where it is hoped the tigers will soon move to live in larger enclosures.
Most of the tourists ABC News spoke with said it was worth every penny.
"This is the reason we came to Thailand," gushed Anne, visiting from Australia. "Actually lying next to it and feeling it breathing is just fantastic!"
But not all of the visitors were convinced, and one even insinuated that the tigers, calmly sleeping in the sun while tourists petted and prodded them, were drugged.
"I don't know what they're on but they've got to be on something if they're laying around like that," said Pete, also from Australia.
It's a persistent rumor that the temple rejects.
"A Buddhist monastery seriously drugging an animal? It's very dangerous to sedate animals. When they come out from under anaesthetic they are very disorientated. They will attack anything that moves," Steinhardt said.
A recent report by wildlife organization, Care for the Wild (CWI), went further, accusing the temple of illegally trafficking and mistreating the tigers, allegations that the temple emphatically denies.
Robyn Shelby, a law student from California, has been volunteering at the temple for seven months and told ABC News, "I haven't seen anything that I don't agree with, and I am very big on animal rights. These tigers are really happy and you can see that in their interactions with people."
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