It isn't actually just a question of "how many" tigers there are in the world (esp. in in captivity) - and it can readily be argued that places like the temple actually encourage a mentality of false security about the real issues surrounding tigers and wildlife conservation in general and in doing so help to reduce the wild tiger population. E.g - “if the wild ones die out it doesn’t matter there are still the hybrids at the temple” - it DOES matter though.

Tigers are more than exhibits or collectibles - The presence of a healthy tiger population in the wild indicates that as the apex predator, that particular ecosystem is functioning correctly. This means flora, fauna, water, woodland etc. etc. are all in place. This in turn is good for us as humans. If we lose the tiger's environment it damages us as well as the tigers and ALL the other parts of that system.

At present there are approximately 150 to 200 tigers in the wild in Thailand -

Thailand has a special responsibility here as it is one of only a handful of countries in the world that still have a wild tiger populations. Probably the last preserve of the Corbetts sub-species. Two subspecies in S.E. Asia have already become extinct.

A few years ago a survey concluded that in Thailand there is in fact already enough "wild" space to support 2000 tigers. The reason their numbers are so low isn't a simple matter of space / acreage, it is hunting and poisoning of the tigers themselves and the trapping of tiger prey, interference with their water supply that the animals have to contend with as well as temporary and permanent encroachment.

The tigers at the Temple are not genetically recorded and are hybrids - even without the problems of releasing a tiger into the wild that has been in contact with humans they can never be released, as they would destroy the local subspecies gene pool. In fact as yet there have been no successful attempts to re-populate a tiger population with tigers reared in zoos - it is simply not practical on so many levels. There is an experiment in Russia at present but the circumstances and breeding there are quite different to the temple.

Despite all this the temple continues to promulgate the idea that they are in some way a conservation or rescue project - none of this has any basis in fact - the animals are almost all bred in house - they number over 100 now, some are permanently caged as they are “man-haters” and even the story of the very first tigers has never been corroborated.

Thank you, khun. Well-put. A much more authentic, healthy and exciting alternative to seeing animals bred in captivity purely for the purposes of accumulating money, is to happen upon them (safely) in the wild. World-wide, there are numerous well-run safaris and projects that offer this. Khun's point is a good one; if we lose our once-healthy eco-systems, we all suffer.

I go "tiger hunting' form time to time - hopefully at new year. I don't seriously expect to see a tiger, but if I came across spoor or scat, it would mean more to me than a thousand caged or captive tigers.

Here is the way to see Tigers and other top predators in their natural environments. This is a compilation video put together by my good buddy here in Thailand, Bruce Kekule. Enjoy - it is 9 minutes but it is worth every minute of it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHYMB...ature=youtu.be

Great Stuff! Is he in Thailand at present?

He is in the states today but back in Thailand in a few days. He lives here in BKK and has many books on Thailand's wildlife - he's quite a fascinating character!