Monk walking tiger on a leash
Monk and tigers during walk in the quarry
Tourists observing the tigers
Tiger Temple, or Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua, is a Buddhist temple in Western Thailand which keeps numerous animals, among them several tame tigers that walk around freely once a day and can be petted by tourists.
The Theravada Buddhist temple is located in the Saiyok district of Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, not far from the border with Myanmar, some 38 km north-west of Kanchanaburi along the 323 highway. It was founded in 1994 as a forest temple and sanctuary for numerous wild animals. In 1995 it received the Golden Jubilee Buddha Image, made of 80 kilograms of gold.
They are washed and handled by Thai staff and the younger tigers by the volunteers. Once a day they are led on leashes to a nearby quarry. Originally they would roam around freely in this area but now, with the increase in tourists and the amount of tigers who sit in the canyon, will always be chained.