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Conflict unfolds during last tiger relocation from Thailand's Tiger Temple

Xinhua, May 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

All the remaining 137 tigers will be removed from the infamous tiger temple in western Thailand, starting from Monday, by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

This is the last relocation of the overall 147 tigers in the temple despite the objection of the abbot and monks. The first group of five tigers were removed overnight by wildlife officials on Jan. 28, followed by another group of five taken to the Pa Khao Son and Khao Prathap Chang wildlife breeding centers in Ratchaburi Province on Feb. 23.

Around 1,000 officials, including soldiers, are sent to carry out the relocation, which would take seven days as the DNP is expected to be able to transport only 20 tigers a day.

Conflict was brewing once again at the Tiger Temple this morning when it refused to hand over its tigers to wildlife officials who arrived at the temple around 9 a.m. local time and as of noon were attempting to negotiate the animals' removal.

Officials said that if there is a fight or obstruction of authorities performing their duty, the department will sue everyone because they have to do their job and the temple has been notified in advance.

The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno, is in a remote corner of Thailand's western province Kanchanaburi but has come under the spotlight in recent years due to its sizeable tiger population.

Last year, the DNP demanded the temple to hand over its 147 tigers to the authorities, as it has no permits to keep them.

After seeking permission to operate a zoo, the controversial temple has been granted an official zoo license by Thai authorities over an outrage across the country in this April. Yet certain formalities are not completely done.

As for the temple's agreement with officials, its lawyer said the temple expects to eventually get the tigers back. He said once the legal procedures are done, the temple's administration will simply buy the tigers back from the state.

The temple has faced numerous allegations of animal abuse and illegal wildlife trafficking since 2001, with substantial evidence presented on several occasions by both non-governmental organizations and former volunteers and staff at the temple.

According to a National Geographic magazine report in this January, the Tiger Temple is estimated to generate about 100 million baht (2.8 million U.S. dollars) a year from tourists who pet and feed tiger cubs, walk tigers on leashes and take selfies with the animals. Endit