(TH) Tiger defenders sued

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

 

Tiger defenders sued

 

BANGKOK--Wildlife Friends founder Edwin Wiek and

representatives of the Bangkok Post on February 3, 2010 entered

their responses to a defamation case filed against them by the Wat Pa

Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery, better known as the

Tiger Temple.

According to Tiger Temple publicity, the facility " started

in 1999, " with " a sick baby tiger, orphaned by poachers, " and

expanded to house other tiger orphans. "

Under Buddhist influence, the tigers " even sit for the

meditating sessions with the monks, " and also are extensively

handled by thousands of paying visitors.

The British wildlife charity Care for the Wild International

contends that investigations it did of the Tiger Temple in 2005-2008

" revealed evidence of tigers being regularly beaten, having urine

sprayed into their faces, being forced to sit in direct sunshine for

hours on end, and being kept in poor conditions with inadequate

feeding. "

Care for the Wild " also uncovered evidence of illegal trade

and breeding of tigers at the temple, " according to the Care for the

Wild web site. " Tigers are reported to be extremely lethargic during

photo sessions, " the web site adds, " leading to concerns they may

be drugged. "

The actual origin of the temple tigers is unclear, Care for

the Wild found, but because they appear to be hybrids of Southeast

Asian and Siberian subspecies, Care for the Wild believes they were

captive-bred.

The Thai Department of National Parks, Plants and Wildlife

in 2002 declared that the temple was operating illegally, but

allowed it to remain open because there was nowhere else for the

tigers to go, according to Care for the Wild.

Wiek and the Bangkok Post were sued for reporting about the

Care for the Wild findings.

Wiek has coped with legal threats before. In 2004, after

Wiek exposed the possession of more than 70 smuggled orangutans by

the Safari World zoo, Wildlife Friends was repeatedly raided and

Wiek himself was briefly jailed. Eventually Wiek was fined $525 and

given an eight-month suspended jail sentence for possessing 11 former

pet macaques who had been given to the Thai Animal Guardians

Association by their keepers, and were relocated to better housing

at Wildlife Friends after the Thai forestry department declined to

take them.

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

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