Being an avid animal lover, I've been starting to look out for more ways I can help animals in the way I live. This includes eating significantly less meat, and reducing the amount of dairy products I use. I also started looking for winter jackets and parkas made with no live plucked down and my reducing leather purchases.
Moving on to my trip 2 weeks ago to Chiang Mia, Thailand, I was fully have the chance to not only see, but touch and hug a tiger! Prior to my trip, both my aunt and uncle had gone with their spouces and only had great things to say such as how cute the tigers were, how much adrenaline was pumping when you got close to the big tigers and the most jaw dropping photos to show!
Animal captivity is a big no-no for me and I will never go to a zoo after go to the Toronto Zoo to see the pandas in 2013 when they came to Toronto. Something just felt so wrong and inhumane to keep these innocent creatures in cages just so people can look and point and comment on their features. Furthermore being isolated in a cage when they are used to roaming free just seemed so cruel and broke my heart after that visit.
However, but hearing that they were so well cared for at Tiger Kingdom, I did a little more research and tripadvisor reviews highlighted that animal lovers said this was one the the highlights of their trip. They also noted that the tigers were awake and did not see like they were sedated. They also take care in your safety in that they only allow you to interact with tigers younger than 2 years old. Anything older than that is too unpredictable for the tiger trainers to handle. And because I love tigers, I decided to go!
It cost around $40CAD to see the baby tiger cubs and the large tigers (you can choose any combination of baby, small, medium and large tiger). We paid for a photographer since you only get around 10-15 minutes with each tiger size and didn't want to waste time snapping our own. I also didn't trust my parents to take good pictures as they are not the most tech savvy people in the world! :P
Baby Tiger Cub Cage
Entering Tiger Kingdom, I noticed that the place was very clean and did not smell of any type of animal waste. There was also a cafe where you could look down and see the big tigers people were meeting.
Prior to entering the tiger cub cage, (it was more like a baby pen as opposed to a cage), employees would tell you to put down your bag at the cubbies, wash your hands, and change your shoes into provided sandals to ensure cleanliness in the tiger pen which I though was quite nice and appropriate. Also, no flash photography is allowed and this is enforced throughout the whole park.
There was the photographer and a tiger trainer that accompanied us around the tiger pen (around 6 tiger cubs you got to take turns and see). They warned us not to place our hands on their heads and only approach them from behind. The first tiger cub was sleeping in a very deep sleep. I don't think it was a coincidence and to be honest I think the first tiger you meet in any cage will be sedated in order for humans to become comfortable around the animals. This is probably necessary and does more harm to the tigers than good (imagine someone freaking out in the cage) but sedation, especially in small tigers in really quite sad).
In the baby tiger pen, the photographer we had seemed to be really rough with the tigers. He would pull their leg to get the tiger to slide in the position he wanted and did not seem genuine with the tigers at all. I even glared at hi after one particular hard tug he gave the tiger to get the shot and told him to just leave the tiger alone. Tiger trainer was not particularly friendly here either but did constantly remind you to keep your hands away from the head and was doing his job.
The baby tigers. They were really cute! At one point the tiger we were petting just got up and ran to the other tiger cub and slept right on top of him. I got a few nice shots with those two.
One particular cub kept getting up and running away from us.. I think he was tired of being poked an prodded and when the tiger trainer tried to get him to come back, I told him to just let him be.
Big Tiger Cage
No requests to wash your hands here. Only after you finish touching the tigers and leave the cage do they tell you to wash your hands.
As previously mentioned, first big tiger was asleep. I should also note that the tiger trainer we got for this cage was so fun and friendly while still making sure we were safe. Photographer was also way better! Seeing this cage made my day!
The second big tiger was asleep on a big high table but as soon as the tiger trainer said something to him, he woke up and looked right at the camera, perfect for someone to stand behind the table for a picture perfect moment. As soon as we left that second tiger, he got up off the table and onto the fountain and peed right into the fountain. I don't think this one was sedated!
I can't explain the rush you get when you are so close to these massive animals that could just kill you with a quick swat for their claws.
I also noticed scratches all over the body of the big tigers. When I asked the trainer, he said that it was from the biting and claws of the other tigers. I believe that this is a good thing, implying that they are not sedated (at least all the time) and get interaction with other tigers.
My thoughts on this trip
I was so happy when I left Tiger Kingdom. I literally had the biggest smile on my face. The effect animals can have on you is so uplifting. It was like animal therapy on steroids!
My cousin, who also went last year, brought up a point that I never thought of. In order to maintain a litter of tiger cubs and small tigers and medium tigers, there always has to be an inflow of baby tigers. But where do the tigers go after they turn two years old and can no longer be used in the Big tiger cage because they are too unpredictable? There were several cages around the park with a lion, two white tigers and I'm assuming older tigers. But there was no way there were enough tigers to make up the population of all the cubs that grew up. Another older friend asked her if they were still selling tiger bones...TIGER BONES. Does this mean they used to kill them and sell the parts as souvenirs? Do they sell them to circuses and zoos? I do not know what to think of that, but it makes me sad to think of this.
All in all, I had a great time. I feel like the tigers were genuinely well cared for and the cages were all very clean. The tigers seem to be well trained and the trainers seem to genuinely care for the animals. I am pretty concerned with what happens to the tigers afterwards and I wish I asked them. Making decisions for vacations that revolve around animals are always difficult if you want to have a good time but also looking out for our animal friends! If you are also an animal lover, let me know if you decide to go and what you base your decisions on!
Thanks for reading! xx Lilian
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