Where would you expect to see a tiger? In the wild? At the zoo? What about in a Buddhist temple?

In Thailand, many wild animals are kept at tourist attractions. Tourists can visit popular elephant camps, monkey shows, and tiger farms. One Thai temple started keeping tigers in 2001. They started with just seven Bengal tigers, which had been rescued. Now 143 tigers and cubs live there! The Buddhist monks take care of them.

Buddhists don’t believe the truth about Jesus. They believe in reincarnation. Buddhist monks are also supposed to be dignified all the time. Some people don’t approve of their horseplay with the tigers.

It’s normal for temples in Thailand to take in stray dogs. But tigers are another story. Visitors gather to watch the monks play with the animals. But animal rights advocates had to wonder: What made the tigers so tame? Some accused the monks of drugging the tigers. Wildlife protection officers came to inspect. It turned out no drugs were used. The tigers are unusually tame, but they are still wild animals. On rare occasion, tourists have been attacked and injured by the tigers.