Even after raids at some of the more infamous locations, the situation only seems to be getting worse.
Thailand's tiger tourism business is booming and the captive tiger population is growing fast, experts say, more than two months after Thai wildlife authorities found scores of dead cubs while rescuing animals from the popular Tiger Temple, on June 1.
The raid at the Temple was conducted from Monday, May 30 and went on for 6 days, as the reports by AlJazeera suggest.
Animal rights activists called on tourists to shun Thai animal attractions, which they say are cruel and should be shut down, after the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, closed in June.
Thai wildlife authorities vowed to inspect other tiger attractions and confiscated 24 tigers from two venues, but the scrutiny has been short-lived.
"On the ground, nothing has changed," said Jan Schmidt-Burbach, a Bangkok-based wildlife adviser for the World Animal Protection NGO. "The Tiger Temple case has brought attention to the topic but is unfortunately limited to the temple itself."
(Reuters)
1. Showtime
)
Tigers are seen in a cage during a performance for tourists at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, in Chonburi province, Thailand, June 7, 2016. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
2. 33% increase in tiger captivity
)
Tourists feed milk to a tiger cub at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, June 7, 2016.
A July report by World Animal Protection shows that the number of captive tigers in Thailand's tiger entertainment industry jumped 33%, from 623 tigers in 2010 to 830 tigers in 2015-2016. Eight new venues also opened during the period.
(Photo courtesy - Reuters)
3. Forced animal performances
)
A trainer plays with a tiger during a performance for tourists, June 7, 2016. Thailand offers an array of wildlife tourist attractions, from tiger "selfies" to elephant rides and orangutan boxing. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
4. Predator
)
A tiger yawns while a piglet stands beside it, June 7, 2016.
Although the tigers are ill-treated, if they are malnourished, it tends to harm the breeding process, especially after the birth of the cubs. Some venues practise "speed breeding" in order to produce tiger cubs for tourist photo-ops, said Schmidt-Burbach, a Bangkok-based wildlife adviser for the World Animal Protection NGO. The practice involves taking newborn cubs away from their mothers so that the females are ready to breed again sooner.
(Photo courtesy - Reuters)
5. The Tiger Temple rescue operation
)
A sedated tiger is stretchered as officials continue moving live tigers from the controversial Tiger Temple, in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand, June 3, 2016. Wildlife authorities in Thailand raided a Buddhist temple in Kanchanaburi province where 137 tigers were kept, following accusations the monks were illegally breeding and trafficking endangered animals. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
6. Sedated tigers relocated
)
Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) officers load a sedated tiger onto a truck at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Tiger Temple, June 1, 2016. Forty of the 137 tigers were rescued by Tuesday from the country's infamous 'Tiger Temple' despite opposition from the temple authorities. (Photo courtesy - Getty Images)
7. Rescued by DNP
)
Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) officers carry a sedated tiger from its cage at the Tiger Temple, June 1, 2016. (Photo courtesy - Getty Images)
8. Carcass of cubs
)
The carcasses of 40 tiger cubs found undeclared are displayed at the Tiger Temple, June 1, 2016. The 40 dead tiger cubs were found in a freezer in a kitchen area of the Temple, said Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks. (Photo courtesy - Getty Images)
