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There are rumours and allegations constantly being spread on the internet about Tiger Temple. For years many were left unanswered, as the Buddhist way is to keep silent and not engage a fight. However now with a lot more focus on the Temple, it is time to respond. There have been a lot of recent posts about missing tiger cubs which accuse Tiger Temple of selling them to the black market. This is not true. The general mortality rate of captive newborn tiger cubs has by some researchers been documented to be as high as 40%; the temple mortality rate is therefore comparatively low. However as happens in life, cubs do occasionally die for various reasons, most often when a new mother lacks the experience to properly care for them. In the past, as per Buddhist customs, these tiger cubs were cremated.
In 2010, the ex-vet of Tiger Temple changed this policy. Instead of cremation, the deceased cubs were preserved in jars or kept frozen. We have documented all the deaths from 2010 and have photographic evidence of them still being within the Temple. As the photos can be disturbing in nature, we are not going to post them here, however those interested are welcome to send a message to us. We can only surmise why the rumours of selling tiger cubs started, and it could be that some volunteers have jumped to conclusions after seeing cubs carried out of the general area where our tigers are kept. One member of the staff takes the rejected newborns or sickly cubs overnight for nursing. Young cubs need feeding every 2 to 3 hours and require 24-hour care. While the overnight is still within the Temple grounds, this can be misconceived by people who are only here for a few weeks. Only some of our staff speak English, so it is oftentimes unclear to newcomers what is happening. While it may appear as if these cubs are being taken from the temple, they are actually only being taken to receive care. With this in mind and based on other misinformation posted on the internet, rumours spread that cubs are disappearing despite this being untrue.
Interestingly, the temple is accused of breeding cubs to make more money off tourists whilst simultaneously being accused of selling their young tiger cubs on the black market. The Temple tigers have been successful at reproduction, and this is because tigers are still felines and can breed as well as any cat when they are happy and healthy. However the Temple does not force the tigers to mate nor does it run any type of breeding program. While the Temple does generate some income from tiger cubs born here through the tiger cub activities offered, the temple does not breed tiger cubs for sale.