The Sleeping Tiger

Today the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi is one of the most ordinary of visitor attractions for visitors to Bangkok. Just a couple of hours from the city it now forms a share of some dissimilar tours. In fact there are visitors to Thailand who come in particular to see the Tiger Temple.

One could very effortlessly believe that the Temples tradition of rearing and living with tigers is a long traditionalisti humane pursuit. It isn’t though. The temple has only been involved with tigers since 1999.

At this time two orphaned tigers, probably taken from a poached mother, were handed in to the temple. The monks decisive to rear them. Very quickly it was noted that the tigers stimulated an interest in visitors. Visitors were also prepared to compensate to touch the tigers and have their photographs taken with them. Commercial greed reared it is ugly head. Far from calling for cash to recompense for a couple of tigers, more tigers were purchased illegally. There was trade in tigers versus international law. They likewise started breeding tigers, pulling the cubs from their mothers and rearing them on pig milk.

There was talk of course of ‘conservation’ which the people involved do not have an inkling of understanding in regards to and of ‘saving’ the tigers which is just as laughable. The tigers were neither being conserved nor saved. It was even suggested that they would be returning tigers to the wild. This is a specialist occupation and could not be done with semi humanised tigers of unknown parentage and besides the tigers already in the wild were already in sufficient difficulties without having their territory encroached on by other animals.

Visitors to the tiger temple only see the tip of the iceberg and may be forgiven in believing that they are seeing something wonderful. The ‘Lion lays down with the Lamb’ but in this case the monk with the tiger. Visitors may be forgiven in getting a kick out of being so close to a big cat.

Lions or Tigers having been hand reared are always going to be that little bit tamer than a mother reared animal but they are not 100% safe. They are not domesticated. They are wild animals. There is an ever present peril that at galore point an individual is going to get killed.

Volunteers who have worked at the temple talk of the tigers being drugged, of being beaten and of being illegally traded.

The International Tiger Coalition wrote an article to the Thai Government in 2008 outlining their fears and hopes. The reply they received said the Tigers were now the property of the Government but cared for by the Monks whilst a decision was made on their future.

In August 2009 the Tiger Temple was given permission to operate as a zoo. This means that they now have virtual free rein to carry on with their crimes.

The Sleeping Tiger

In an crusade to apply his theories of criminal reformation, a psychiatrist gives refuge to a handsome crook. The thief and the doctor’s wife fall in love and make plans of their own.

The Sleeping Tiger Pic

The Sleeping Tiger Image

The Sleeping Tiger Image

The Sleeping Tiger Photo

Most helpful client reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Good Movie…But Pathetically Poor Picture Quality
By Chrissy
I don’t know how Alpha Home Entertainment could perhaps release this DVD….they must be ashamed. Believe me, it’s not the film that I dislike – I have it on a VHS copy and have viewed it a heap of times – but the fact that they may release a DVD with a picture quality so disgustingly poor, I thought I would need eye glasses by the end of the movie. It may be in black and white but the colour is so faded and the scratched and semi-blurry picture quality so annoying, that I unquestionably commend that no one purchases this DVD. I was hesitant in purchasing it in the basi place as I’ve read bad reviews in regards to DVD’s freed by Alpha but, as I’m a huge Dirk Bogarde fan, I went in front and stupidly made this purchase. Be admonished – don’t buy this DVD! (I have since acquired the “Dirk Bogarde Screen Icons Collection” and the film quality of The Sleeping Tiger in this collection is splendid in comparison to Alpha’s atrocious release….give Alpha the flick and buy this seven film collection instead….available at Amazon.co.uk).

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