New report slams Thailand’s tiger tourism industry
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A new report has exposed what it calls the “true scale of abuse” in Thailand’s tiger tourism industry.
Released to coincide with International Tiger Day on 29 July, World Animal Protection’s report revealed that despite recent negative media coverage, tiger tourism is a growing industry in Thailand.
In fact there are 33% more captive tigers in Thailand now than there were five years ago, with 830 tigers currently being kept in captivity at entertainment venues, compared to 623 in 2010.
The report also found evidence of captive tigers being mistreated, as part of the process to make them submissive enough to entertain tourists. The main welfare concerns witnessed by the investigators at Thai tourist venues were:
– Tiger cubs that are separated from their mothers just weeks after birth;
– Young cubs being viewed and handled hundreds of times a day;
– Tigers being punished “using pain and fear” to prevent aggressive behaviour. Starvation was cited as one example of punishment;
– Tigers being housed in small cages or enclosures with limited access to fresh water.
More than one in 10 of the tigers observed by investigators showed signs of behavioural problems, such as repetitive pacing and biting their tales.
“It is very worrying that at the time of our research 207 more tigers were abused for tourist entertainment than there were five years ago,” said Julie Middelkoop of World Animal Protection. “We’re asking tourists to think about the welfare of the tigers, and we’re calling on the travel industry to stop promoting and profiting from tiger cruelty. If you can get up close, hug or have a selfie with a tiger it’s cruel and don’t go.”
Of the 17 major Thai tiger entertainment venues investigated, Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Pattaya was found to have the highest number of tigers in captivity. It also had some of the poorest conditions, with at least one tiger so thin the hips and ribs were visible.
As well as urging travellers not to visit tiger attractions, World Animal Protection is calling for travel companies – including TripAdvisor – to stop promoting these venues, and on governments to investigate tiger attractions and close down those that show evidence of cruelty.
The World Animal Protection report follows the recent raid on the so-called Tiger Temple in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, which uncovered evidence of animal abuse and wildlife trafficking.
Following the report, TripAdvisor issued the following statement:
“The role of animals in tourism is a highly complex issue involving a variety of stakeholders with diverse points of view. TripAdvisor takes this issue seriously. Currently, there is no universally agreed upon criteria by which to assess animal welfare practices, and no feasible means by which an online resource like ours could centrally audit such practices around the globe. While it is the responsibility of national governments and local regulatory bodies to monitor businesses in their respective jurisdictions, TripAdvisor recognises that the travel and tourism community can be a positive catalyst for change.
“We are committed to exploring this in a thoughtful and responsible manner to protect animal welfare, while serving the needs of our TripAdvisor community, promoting sustainable tourism, and respecting the economic interests of the reputable partners who make their living in this area. TripAdvisor is committed to working constructively with leaders in the animal protection, welfare and conservation space who are open to finding reasonable and scalable solutions. This is a process that deserves thoughtful and deliberate consideration.”
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