The Tiger Zoo of Sri Racha and Thai-Wildlife
Tigerzoo Sri Racha
From Pattaya it is only about thirty kilometers to the big one Tiger Zoo from Sri Racha. This trip is included in the program of many travel agencies. According to their own words, the zoo houses more than two hundred tigers and is more than worth a trip.
You can view the tigers behind glass and the opportunity to take a picture with a young tiger or orangutan on your lap is an unforgettable souvenir. You can experience here that tigers are less dangerous than many people think. Little pigs, in a cute tiger-colored jumpsuit, are suckled by mother tiger and in another place you see dogs, pigs and tigers living peacefully together. At set times you can go to a kind of circus performance, in which tigers naturally play the leading role.
Ten thousand crocodiles
What about a real crocodile show where a young girl and young man show their fearlessness and dare to put their heads in the large mouth of a crocodile. It is claimed that the zoo has as many as ten thousand crocodiles. Both in terms of the number of tigers and the number of crocodiles, Sri Racha is the Number One worldwide. And then you also have a lady who, hung with scorpions, does not exude the slightest fear.
Tigers
Thailand wouldn't be Thailand if the elephants were missing at the roll call, so Jumbo is also present with a great show. Ever seen a real race where pigs run fastest with their short legs? The beasts all have a number and I wouldn't be surprised if many Thais don't secretly make a small bet with each other. All shows are included in the entrance fee (350 baht for non-Thai). The Tiger Zoo is well worth a visit.
National Geographic
The Dutch edition of National Geographic of January 2010 contains a disconcerting story about animal smuggling in Asia, from which the tiger cannot escape. One of the main figures in this reprehensible animal trade is headquartered on the Malaysian island of Penang and exploits zoos for this shady trade. Captive-bred tigers, as well as other protected species, can be traded in Malaysia. Quoting the magazine: “Tigers are virtually extinct in the wild; if there are four thousand left, it is a lot.
Tigers earn gold money on the black market. Tibetans wear robes of tiger skins, wealthy collectors give the heads a nice place in their homes, exotic restaurants serve the meat, the penis is a renowned aphrodisiac, and the Chinese use the bones in all kinds of medicinal substances of Chinese medicine. According to experts, a dead adult tiger male on the black market fetches at least ten thousand dollars. In some Asian countries, so-called tiger parks act as a cover for seedy tiger farms, where captive animals are slaughtered and sold, and poachers may also sell animals killed in the wild.” So much for the National Geographic quote.
Orangutan
Based on the many photos of Thai bourgeois greats and members of the Royal Family, who had themselves portrayed here on the spot in the immediate company of a young tiger, you might conclude that things are going well in Sri Racha. Nevertheless, opinions about this Tiger Zoo are very divided and there is also the necessary international criticism.
Not the best name
Thailand does not have the best reputation when it comes to the shady trade in protected species. The country is even accused of being a kind of conduit for mala fide practices. The elephant is more or less a symbol of Thailand and it is therefore very incomprehensible that the country has been on the black list for the illegal trade in ivory since 2006. Only Congo (formerly Zaire) and Nigeria have an even worse reputation in this area. Thailand is known as one of the largest countries where ivory is processed into true works of art, with China and Japan as the main buyers.
In February this year, Thai Customs seized 239 elephant tusks weighing two tons and a market value of 120 million baht at Suvarnabhumi airport. It was the largest catch to date ivory in weight and value. The Thai wildlife organization and customs have been instructed to monitor compliance with the international CITES treaty even more. (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Most recently, a proposal by Tanzania and Zambia to export as much as XNUMX tons of government-controlled ivory reserves was rejected by CITES. Let's hope that Thailand will also monitor better and apply heavy sanctions to these illegal practices, which are a direct attack on wildlife. And that does not only apply to Thailand, but lurid people worldwide enrich themselves from this kind of macabre trade.
I am a principled opponent of animal-prisons or animal-trick-gardens. Every creature should live as much as possible in its natural habitat and be able to do as it pleases. This, of course, as long as he/she doesn't bother me with it.
That's why I never go to zoos if I can avoid it. I was forced to go to Khao Kieauw Open Zoo 1 time recently and I must say that I am not too bad for Asian standards. Most animals had plenty of space and could do whatever they wanted.
At Nong Noet I once saw a completely painted tiger posing for Chinese tourists. Tigers and other hunters can NEVER be trusted 100%, not even my cat, but I can handle it.
very exaggerated, spraying is not possible at all with these animals! They are often orphan cubs who cannot go back. Furthermore, it is not the Netherlands where everyone enjoys a good income, one has to do something more here. I've been there before and you're exaggerating quite a bit!
we went on holiday in thailand for the first time in November last year and our guide offered us a trip to the crocodile farm. that was quite nice to see once, but the whole group was shocked when we went to the associated zoo used to go. pens far too small for the animals, dogs that walked in cages with tigers, but the worst we found was the bear with a broken tumor on his mouth bigger than a tennis ball. we had more than 1 hour to look around but were already at the bus in 10 minutes. It's just disgusting that they let an animal walk around like that. We will definitely visit Thailand again, but we will skip the crocodile farm with zoo.