A total of 86 out of the 147 tigers rescued from the Tiger Temple in Thailand have died already since they were taken three years ago.
According to authorities, many of the tigers rescued in 2016 from the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua temple in Thailand, have died of a virus after being weakened by the stress of relocation. Thai officials said some of the tigers contracted Canine Distemper Virus or CDV, which make it difficult for them to breathe or eat. Officials also point to genetic problems due to inbreeding among the tigers.
However, the temple's monks have denied accusations of animal abuse, trafficking and illegal breeding while they were taking care of the tigers. Temple caretaker Athithat Srimanee denied claims that the tigers died because of inbreeding, arguing that the government was playing a "blame game".
Since the police raided the temple in 2016, the tigers have been housed at two breeding stations in the Ratchaburi province as they were believed to be incapable of surviving in the wild.
According to Edwin Wiek, founder of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), these tigers were held in small, cramped cages, making it easy for disease to spread. Wiek argued that while CDV can be treated with proper food and supplements, access to clean water, and enough space to move around, the government lacked the resources to provide these. He said "To be very honest, who would be ready to take in so many tigers at once? The authorities should have asked for help from outside, but instead insisted on doing all work themselves."
The Tiger Temple, which has been closed to the public since 2016, was located in the Kanchanaburi Province of Thailand and was managed by Buddhist monks. During the height of its operations, tourists pay 600 Thai Baht just to enter the temple and they have to pay more to pet, feed, or take pictures with the tigers.
