Tiger Kingdom

Here in Chiang Mai there is a place called Tiger Kingdom. It's probably one of those places people really disapprove of in the U.S., but could you pass up a chance to put your hands on a real live tiger? I couldn't. This place has a lot of tigers. They are not Bengal tigers, but rather indo-Chinese tigers.




I only had the nerve to pet the cubs, who were about 3 months old.


They were sleepy for the most part, but seemed to like having their belly rubbed.





I have to thank Barb for these photos as, to my horror, I got the "memory card full" message after taking just one photo here! I had another memory card at the ready, but forgot to bring it! Anyway, Barb and her iPhone saved the day. Also, I had to pick a few images from google to show you more of what it was like.


First of all, we were sad to see so many tigers in so many cages. I think they have over 50 tigers here. Supposedly, according to their literature, these tiger were all born and raised in captivity and have nowhere else to go. They can not just be released back into the wild as they did not learn to hunt and survive from their mothers. Another problem is that the jungle and forest where they should live is no longer a huge unpopulated area, nor is it well stocked with the deer and other animals that are their natural prey due to hunting by humans. Even if they did have the skills needed to survive, the habitat is not robust enough to support them. So what should be done with them?



They did not seem too distressed, at least not the ones on display. They seemed well fed and healthy. They had "yards" where it appeared they might have been allowed to go on rotation.


Some of the yards had pools for them to swim which they seemed to like. Everything was clean and the attendants seemed very happy with their jobs and affectionate toward the tigers.


When you arrive at tiger kingdoms you pay according to which size tiger you want to interact with. The cubs, being the most popular, cost the most. I paid about $20. Then the biggest tigers and then the middle size ones. I really did not have the courage to go in with the big ones as this girl did, but there was no shortage of people doing it.


Their paws are huge and they are not declawed.


The first question everyone asks is "are the tigers drugged?" The facility devotes a a lot of effort to explain that drugging the tigers is not necessary for these reasons.
- The tigers are well fed
-They have been raised from a young age "by hand" and been around people all their lives
-They are nocturnal animals who sleep most of the day (18 hours a day) and are active and more playful at night.
They did not appear to be drugged to me, but they were kinda sleepy.



In the end, I was really not sure how I felt about the animal tourism I have witnessed in Thailand. Of course anyone who loves animals would want these majestic creatures to live in the wild as nature intended. For various reasons this is not so easy anymore. At least with these places there is a way for them to be cared for. I have to say it was an incredible experience to have such a close up experience with the tigers. I never dreamed I would have such an opportunity!

Location:Chiangh Mai