40 tiger cub corpses found at Thai Tiger Temple
Warning: Some readers may find the below images disturbing.
Thai authorities have found 40 tiger cub bodies in a freezer at a Buddhist temple which came under fire over suspected wildlife trafficking and animal abuse.
A raid on the Buddhist temple in Kanchanaburi province west of Bangkok, a popular tourist destination, moved 52 live tigers, leaving 85 still there.
You May Also Like
Police and wildlife officials also found 40 cub corpses in a freezer in a kitchen area, according to Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks.
"They must be of some value for the temple to keep them," he said. "But for what is beyond me."
Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and Thailand has long been a centre for illicit trafficking of wildlife.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The Wildlife Friends Foundation said a bear, a binturong and many other animals' body parts were also found. "These animals were never registered with the authorities and who knows how they met this grizzly end," the foundation said in a Facebook post:
Photographer Dario Pignatelli, a Bangkok-based journalist, said he took the photo at around 10:30 a.m. local time.
The temple, Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua, was commonly known as Tiger Temple and started keeping tigers since 2001. It quickly became popular with tourists despite accusations of trading in endangered animals.
It has earned nearly $6 million (£4.1 million) a year from ticket sales, officials said.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
