The Abbot of the infamous Tiger Temple Thailand, Phra Acham Phoosit (Chan) Kanthitharo, will face charges of illegal wildlife trafficking tigers in 2017 after the Department of National Parks Thailand discovered the DNA of dead tiger cubs found in the grounds of Tiger Temple during confiscations in June 2016, did not match any DNA of living and present tigers within the Tiger Temple.
Six of the cubs had no match-able DNA while another 15 dead tiger cubs matched only one present living parent from the Tiger Temple.
The Abbot is identified as the prime suspect involved in illegal tiger trafficking, and the secondary suspects are committee members.
As these charges come to light, the Tiger Temple is attempting to purchase 100+ tigers from a zoo in Nakhon Nayok province in Thailand.
Sybelle Foxcroft, Director of Australian NGO, Conservation and Environmental Education 4 Life – Cee4life, [who released the 9 year investigative report,”Tiger Temple Report”] stated, “It is no surprise that these cubs have unidentifiable DNA. Throughout our investigations numerous witness’s, including Cee4life investigators, saw cubs born and then disappear, and new cubs arrive in the middle of the night”.
While it seems outrageous that people suspected of illegal tiger trafficking and possession could obtain more tigers, it is a possibility due to the separate business’s created by the Tiger Temple.
Part of the evidence contained within the report is the recorded conversations between the Abbot, the ex Tiger Temple Veterinarian and the ex Tiger Temple lawyer. One specific conversation, regarding the three missing tigers of December 2014, has the Abbot alluding to the fact that its his and Tiger Temples “policy” that outgoing tigers are not alive before being transported onward from the temple. But there is more evidence that the public has yet to hear.
After receiving information from the Australian based Not-for-Profit organisation, Cee4life (Conservation and Environmental Education 4 Life), Australian Federal Police Border Control/Immigration Officers, seized tiger body parts being brought into Australia on 2nd April 2016.
Cee4life had tracked multiple people between 2010 – 2016, who had purchased or were gifted tiger body part trinkets from the now defunct Tiger Temple, Thailand.
An ex-Tiger Temple volunteer had purchased the illegal tiger body parts at the notorious Tiger Temple for 7500 Baht (approx. $280 AU). They then proceeded to travel from Thailand to the UK, USA, Indonesia and then to Australia. When attempting to enter Australia, from the information supplied by Cee4life, the suspect was detained by the Australian Federal Border Control Police and the illegal tiger body parts were seized.
The offender has requested anonymity.
Prior to being caught in Australia, the offender crossed into countries that have very harsh punishments for wildlife trafficking crimes. If caught, it could have ended with them serving 10 years in a notoriously hard prison.
The DNA of the confiscated tiger body parts can be used to trace back to tigers from the Tiger Temple, along with the offender’s statement and more, confirms the selling, buying and international transport of illegal tiger body parts.
Note: IF YOU HAVE PURCHASED OR BEEN GIVEN A TIGER BODY PART “MEMENTO” FROM TIGER TEMPLE PLEASE CONTACT CEE4LIFE URGENTLY.
Investigators from Cee4life found evidence that the Tiger Temple had been selling and gifting illegal tiger body parts to multiple staff, volunteers, visitors and guests dating back to approx. 2010. The buying, selling or trading of tiger body parts in Thailand is illegal in both the laws of the country and under CITES (Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species, Wildlife and Plant Species). The further transportation across international borders of protected and endangered species body parts without any legal permission, is a crime punishable by the laws of each country.
The tiger is a critically endangered species and is protected by law in most countries and is an Appendix I listed species under CITES.