Meow

Tigers and monks.

Typically, the two seem incompatible—monks are calm, tigers are not. But, in Thailand, anything is possible.

Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery (or, Tiger Temple) in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, is a self-proclaimed animal sanctuary for a variety of free-roaming creatures including jungle fowl, peacocks, wild boar, cows, deer, buffalo, goats, and horses. In 1999, the temple received its first tiger cub after its mother was poached along the nearby Thai/Burma border. The Western Forest Complex, stretching along the border, is the largest area of protected land in Asia, and home to what is believed to be the largest tiger population in the region. However, poaching still occurs frequently and the wild tiger population will continue to dwindle without the help of conservationists.

On the downside (and something we were unaware of at the time of our visit), a British conservationist group, Care for the Wild International (CWI), claims the tiger temple is merely masquerading as a sanctuary for rescued animals when, in reality, it operates as an illegal breeding facility involved in the trafficking of tigers to Laos. Today, the CWI continues its investigation and work in moving the tigers to a safer location. In the meantime, the Tiger Temple maintains its innocence and hopes to achieve "tiger harmony."

Regardless of the temple's intent, petting and posing with live tigers is probably...

Not a Good Idea.

Tiger Canyon

The people in blue shirts are the workers/volunteers who lead you around by hand and literally watch your back.

Tiger Temple claims the cats are not drugged, but "have been regularly handled from a very early age and thus became desensitized to being touched by people." Hmm....

Each personal guide tells visitors exactly where to place their hand and instructs them to use firm pressure when touching the tigers.

The entire tiger-touching experience lasts approximately 5-8 minutes—not enough time to fully realize the ridiculousness of what you're actually doing.

The only time I flinched—when the tiger on the right whipped his head around with an open mouth. I'm still alive.

The above picture from the Tiger Temple brochure was directly under an unrelated warning box that read:

Please do not wear "bright color" (red or orange) on your visit to the Tiger Temple.

Someone isn't setting a very good example...