Famous Thai tiger temple where Buddhist monks ride and play with the giant cats is cleared of mistreating the animals after claims they were drugging them
- More than 100 tigers are housed at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple
- Wildlife protection officers investigated the premises in Kanchanaburi
- But after a three-hour inspection, no evidence of mistreatment was found
- Monks and the veterinarian who takes care of the animals denied allegations of drugging the tigers to keep them tame
A famous tiger temple in Thailand - where Buddhist monks ride the giant cats - has been cleared of mistreating the animals who live there.
More than 100 tigers are housed at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple in the western province of Kanchanaburi.
Wildlife protection officers investigated after claims the monks were drugging the tigers - but after a three-hour inspection, no evidence of mistreatment was found.
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Wildlife protection officers found no evidence of mistreatment at the popular Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Pictured, a monk plays with a tiger at the so-called 'Tiger Temple'
Wildlife protection officials said they found no mistreatment of the more than 100 tigers at the temple
However, charges will be pursued for keeping rare birds in the compound after a raid last week found the temple was illegally keeping 38 hornbills and other protected bird species.
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Around 50 officials from the wildlife department and local religious affairs office, as well as soldiers, inspected the premises of the popular attraction yesterday.
The so-called 'Tiger Temple' is famous for its tame-looking big cats which live alongside Buddhist monks.
The monks and the veterinarian who takes care of the animals have denied allegations of drugging the creatures to keep them tame.
The temple is known for the iconic image of tame-looking big cats living with Buddhist monks
A Buddhist monk feeds water to a tiger at the temple in Saiyok district in Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok
The 'Tiger Temple' is one of Thailand's most popular attractions for tourists and is essentially a petting zoo
Cherdchai Jariyapanya, director of the regional office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said: 'The tigers are living in quite healthy conditions. They are well taken care of.
'They have had microchips embedded in them and the department has been informed every time a new cub is born.'
The chips contain information about the lineage and medical history of the animals and are also used to help combat trafficking.
Mr Cherdchai said he will report the results of the inspection to the department's director-general, who will decide whether the government will step in to take care of the tigers.
He added the cost of handling the animals would be more than 20 million baht ($612,000) a year and a new facility would need to be built to support them.
'We already have a number of confiscated tigers in our custody already,' he added.
Animal rights activists have expressed concerns about the welfare of animals at tourist attractions across Thailand, which has popular elephant camps, monkey shows and tiger farms.
Mr Cherdchai said the police have pressed charges against the keeper of the exotic birds found on the temple's compound and will watch out for future violations of the wildlife protection laws.
'If we hear of any more complaints, we will strictly follow the law and send officials to search and make an arrest again,' he said.
The temple has been accused of drugging the creatures to make them stay calm, an allegation the monks and the veterinarian who takes care of the animals, denied
Around 50 officials from the wildlife department and local religious affairs office, as well as soldiers, inspected the premises of the popular attraction yesterday
Temples in Thailand are traditional sanctuaries for stray dogs, but the presence of the tigers raised concerns
The temple began keeping tigers in 2001 when it agreed to take care of seven Bengal tigers seized in a wildlife bust nearby.
It now houses 143 tigers and cubs.
Temples are traditional sanctuaries for stray dogs, but the presence of the tigers raised concerns after photographs emerged showing monks riding the animals.
Buddhist monks are supposed to act modestly in all aspects of their lives - but they still come out to play with the animals in what has come to be a show for visitors.
Tourists happily pet the tigers and pose for close-up photos with them, while their donations help pay for the tigers' maintenance and improvements to the temple.
More than 100 tigers are housed at the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple now after the monks first adopted seven Bengal tigers in 2001
Cherdchai Jariyapanya said the tigers are living in 'quite healthy conditions' and are 'well taken care of'. Pictured, a tiger hides inside a cage at the 'Tiger Temple'
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