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Thailand Tiger Temple to face charges over dead cubs | Thailand Tiger Temple to face charges over dead cubs |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Wildlife authorities in Thailand have said they will press charges against a Buddhist temple where the bodies of 40 dead tiger cubs were found. | Wildlife authorities in Thailand have said they will press charges against a Buddhist temple where the bodies of 40 dead tiger cubs were found. |
The discovery came during a week-long effort to relocate 137 tigers from the tourist site in Kanchanaburi province. | The discovery came during a week-long effort to relocate 137 tigers from the tourist site in Kanchanaburi province. |
The "Tiger Temple" operators have been accused of wildlife trafficking, animal abuse and illegally possessing carcasses and endangered species. | The "Tiger Temple" operators have been accused of wildlife trafficking, animal abuse and illegally possessing carcasses and endangered species. |
They deny all allegations and resisted previous attempts to remove the tigers. | They deny all allegations and resisted previous attempts to remove the tigers. |
BBC visit to the Tiger Temple in 2012 | |
The tiger cub corpses were found in a freezer at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua temple complex on Wednesday, along with body parts from other animals. | The tiger cub corpses were found in a freezer at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua temple complex on Wednesday, along with body parts from other animals. |
Police Col Bandith Meungsukhum told AFP the cubs would have been one or two days old, but it was not clear how long they had been dead. | Police Col Bandith Meungsukhum told AFP the cubs would have been one or two days old, but it was not clear how long they had been dead. |
They will be DNA tested to see whether they were related to other tigers at the site. | They will be DNA tested to see whether they were related to other tigers at the site. |
National parks official Adisorn Noochdumrong said a keeper had been "told to place the carcasses when they died in cold storage". | National parks official Adisorn Noochdumrong said a keeper had been "told to place the carcasses when they died in cold storage". |
He told AFP the temple operators could be charged with keeping the carcasses without permission. | He told AFP the temple operators could be charged with keeping the carcasses without permission. |
The temple has previously said it decided in 2010 to stop cremating cubs which died soon after birth. It has always denied trafficking allegations. | The temple has previously said it decided in 2010 to stop cremating cubs which died soon after birth. It has always denied trafficking allegations. |
Authorities started the operation to remove all 137 living tigers from the temple on Monday. Dozens have already been removed. | Authorities started the operation to remove all 137 living tigers from the temple on Monday. Dozens have already been removed. |
The site, west of Bangkok, is a popular tourist attraction, with visitors able to post for photos with the animals for a fee. | The site, west of Bangkok, is a popular tourist attraction, with visitors able to post for photos with the animals for a fee. |
It has been closed to the public since the raid. | It has been closed to the public since the raid. |
Animal activists and former workers have claimed the tigers are mistreated and kept in small concrete cages. | Animal activists and former workers have claimed the tigers are mistreated and kept in small concrete cages. |