At the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua temple near Thailand’s western border with Myanmar, Theravada Buddhist monks live with and take care of full grown tigers. They cuddle. They smooch. And for $140, tourists can buy a day of playing with the cats as well, hand feeding and bathing them. But on Wednesday, as a government-led campaign to end the temple’s tiger tourism was underway, a large freezer was found. Inside: 40 tiger cub carcasses, some preserved in jars, others frozen, many dead for years.

The Tiger Temple–as it’s commonly called–was buzzing with Thai officials and police officers, as 64 live adult tigers were hauled away, and the grisly freezer uncovered and unpacked. The seizure was the beginning of Thailand’s Wildlife Conservation Office’s efforts to put an end to the temple’s tiger tourism activities, which have come under increased scrutiny from animal rights groups over the years for mistreating the animals and engaging in black market trafficking.

“The monks have the attitude, ‘I am over the law,'” Teunchai Noochdumrong, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Office told The New York Times a few weeks ago. “They say because they are monks, they have the right to take care of all the animals in that area.”

For years, the temple has faced allegations of trafficking in tiger parts–an illegal offense–and breeding the beasts to sell throughout Asia and especially China, where tiger bone liquor is a highly prized tonic. Trafficking accusations began when a former veterinarian discovered that three adult tigers had gone missing.

Animal rights groups have pressured Thai authorities to end what they saw as the temple’s rough treatment of the tigers. After months of legal battles between the temple and the Wildlife Conservation Office, the campaign to remove the estimated 137 tigers at the temple kicked into high gear this week. Officials say Tiger Temple will be emptied of its tigers by Saturday. 

For its part, the temple claims to be a bastion of harmony between humans and tigers, an endangered species with an estimated 3,000 to 3,600 animals left on the planet. The temple earns $6 million a year from tourism. Tiger Temple addressed the allegations in a Facebook post in March, when trafficking suspicions first arose:

We can only surmise why the rumours of selling tiger cubs started, and it could be that some volunteers have jumped to conclusions after seeing cubs carried out of the general area where our tigers are kept,” the post said, adding they put off responding to the trafficking rumors because “the Buddhist way is to keep silent.”

Journalists from London and Thailand commented on the post, asking why the cub carcasses were kept frozen instead of cremated, “as per Buddhist customs.” The temple responded: “The previous vet Dr. Somchai started this policy. Probably in order to combat the allegations of the temple selling the cubs.” Essentially, the Temple is claiming that it kept the cubs to prove that they weren’t sold, but rather died of natural causes.

The tigers will be moved to government facilities around the country. But on its Facebook page over the weekend, Tiger Temple posted a video of one of its former tigers, Dawie, in a cage at its new home at the Khao Pratap Chang Research Facility; the cat’s face was bloodied and cut.

“Our tigers are used to huge open spaces and freedom, not used to being confined in small bare cages,” the post said.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) may be the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, but at 88 years old he’s crushing his colleagues at the Twitter game. He may not have the most followers out of the whole pack, but he’s undoubtedly got the most charm and the best sense of humor. Trust me, if you aren’t following him then you’re missing out. Take a look at these gems just from the last month alone.

He isn’t afraid to cut to the chase.

So it’s a tornado full of sharks? That’s what the entire film is about?

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 30, 2014

  He’s mastered the sarcastic hashtag.

#LetsMove RT @RepJeffDenham: My staff made me a birthday cake with lots of Valley veggies to remind me of home. pic.twitter.com/Ty2DbwdK6D — John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 29, 2014

  He wasn’t kidding about that cake.

Contrary to what some say regarding @SenSchumer, the most dangerous place in DC is actually btwn me and this birthday cake my staff got me.

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 9, 2014

  He isn’t afraid of a little age joke. 

313 years ago today, Cadillac landed on the banks of the Detroit River. No, I wasn’t there at the time. Happy 313th Birthday, Detroit! #313 — John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 24, 2014

He’s too smart for the Kardashian Kraze.

Staff has now informed me of what a Kardashian is. I’m only left with more questions.

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 22, 2014

  He’s the Marquis of Michigan.

With the House adjourned for the week, I’m taking my talents back to Michigan to spend time with constituents. #MI12 pic.twitter.com/1saVo5ubpT — John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 18, 2014

He doesn’t need no stinkin’ filter.

We didn’t need Instagram to get photos like this 50yrs ago, but I’ll still tag it #nofilter. #tbt pic.twitter.com/BM7DgE1gkU

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 17, 2014

  He knows how to work the crowd.

Working on speech to an auditorium full of Congressional Interns tomorrow. Staff advises it should be less A, more B. pic.twitter.com/YRlJ31cj8c — John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 15, 2014

He won the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon game.

Surely a question that has plagued mankind for decades. RT @USATODAY: Why John Dingell is one degree from Kevin Bacon http://t.co/5ItjtYxnWF

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 8, 2014

  He only endorses the truly important issues. 

Cosign. RT @espn: Tim Howard. So money. pic.twitter.com/OACEinyciW — John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 1, 2014

He knows you don’t #TurnDown when his beloved Tigers are winning.

That is now the second time I’ve tweeted or retweeted the #TurnDownForWhat hashtag. That said, go @tigers! #BlessYouBoys

— John Dingell (@john_dingell) July 2, 2014

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Chelsey Goff (@cddg) is Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University in DC. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at cgoff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured imaged courtesy of [Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan via Flickr]

Chelsey D. Goff

Chelsey D. Goff was formerly Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State Native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Rep. John Dingell is Better Than You at Twitter appeared first on Law Street.

There are some pretty bizarre trends going around these days, and just one of the many is men posting photos of themselves with tigers on online dating sites. Why? To seem manly and brave via some kind of weird, caveman-esque mating ritual showing that they can take on any wild beast to save his damsel in distress. Alas, there is a new challenge to this practice — a New York law threatening to ban tiger selfies.

If men trying to prove their macho-manliness can no longer pose with the wild, striped felines, what will become of the Tumblr blog dedicated to featuring their photos? How will women find suitable partners on the reliable sites Tinder and OKCupid if they cannot assess he size of the tiger with which her potential mate cuddles?

State legislators in both houses have passed a bill banning people from posing for photos while touching tigers in New York State. This, along with ridding the world of large, sugary sodas, clearly top the priority list of New York politicians, as they should the lists of everyone.

Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal explained that she introduced the legislation to increase safety at traveling circuses and fairs that allow the public to take photographs of themselves getting cozy with tigers. She did not point out, however, that there were only two big-cat attacks at traveling shows in New York over the last decade.

So no matter the size of the tiger with which you are posing, you will pay up to $500 for such a horrendous offense. If Tigger approaches you in New York, back away — yes, he LOOKS friendly, but it’s all a farce. Same with Raja — Jasmine better not consider a move to New York anytime soon.

Sorry, Jasmine, that’ll be $500

Lauren Schuster, a staffer for Rosenthal, accurately pointed out what their law is REALLY going to do: “We’re killing bros’ dreams and chances of being laid!” She couldn’t have foreseen the consequences of this law any better. Seriously, if a man can’t post pictures of himself with tigers, I can’t think of how he will score chicks. Buying them drinks just doesn’t suffice anymore.

Despite this attack on the prominent method through which men demonstrate their masculinity, there is still hope, at least according to Rosenthal. “They can still pose with bears and monkeys,” the assemblywoman said. “They just have to take big cats off their list.” Even if dating app users can still pose with monkeys and bears…come on, that’s not NEARLY as sexy and manly. It’s just not the same! How are Tinder users going to woo the love of their lives while cozying up next to a monkey? Will that be the next blog on Tumblr? Simian selfies? That is bound to attract an entirely different type of woman. I guess only time will tell.

No word on if lion selfies are acceptable…

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Marisa Mostek (@MarisaJ44) loves globetrotting and writing, so she is living the dream by writing while living abroad in Japan and working as an English teacher. Marisa received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a certificate in journalism from UCLA. Contact Marisa at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [Wilma Verburg via Wikimedia]

Marisa Mostek

Marisa Mostek loves globetrotting and writing, so she is living the dream by writing while living abroad in Japan and working as an English teacher. Marisa received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a certificate in journalism from UCLA. Contact Marisa at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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