Tiger Kingdom Sanctuary, Phuket, Thailand!
Hands down one of my favorite and more memorable vacation experiences ever! We visited Tiger Kingdom Sanctuary in Phuket, Thailand to see tigers up close. I wanted to ensure that we were going to a place that treated these animals ethically and were cruelty free. Tiger Kingdom kept coming up in my research as a place where tigers were treated humanely and were well cared for.
The Legend of Tiger Kingdom
According to legend, Tiger Kingdom started 30+ years ago when the owner was given a tiger cub nearly because its mother had been killed. The villager who found the cub gave this particular man the tiger cub because he had the land and money necessary to care for the cub. Then he acquired more animals and needed to make more money to support them and Tiger Kingdom was created. Initially tourists were not able to interact with the tigers. A group of Australian tourists are credited with starting this practice after asking if they could get close to the animals like their trainers did.
Moral Dilemma
Animal activists criticize places like Tiger Kingdom for domesticating wild animals and urge tourists not to support these sanctuaries. While that is a very worthy cause to fight for, places like Tiger Kingdom presents a bit of a moral conundrum. Some of these tigers were rescued and some were born in the sanctuary. They would not be able to survive if they were released into the wild. The money that the tourism provides goes towards the care of these animals for food, medical, maintenance, etc. So if the tourism money stopped, what would happen to these beautiful creatures? Hence the conundrum.
The Experience
When you enter Tiger Kingdom, you have to select a package. You can interact with Tigers at different stages of their life from baby to adult. We opted to interact with the young tigers (in their teens) and the king of the jungle adult tigers which were massive! They truly were spectacular creatures. There was a trainer that escorted us into the fenced area where the tigers were located. The tigers were separated according to their age. You entered their home and it was a good size plot of land where they had pools and play areas and they were free to roam around.
There were a lot of tigers napping in different parts of the grounds. We asked if the Tigers were given any sedatives or tranquilizers. The trainer told us that Tigers were nocturnal animals and they often slept during the day. Due to the fact that some of them were born in the sanctuary, they were use to seeing humans and thus were not aggressive.
Play at your own Risk!
When I interacted with my first tiger, I was surprised by how their coat felt. I expected it to be soft, but it was very coarse to the touch. Their paws were humongous! Even the juvenile tigers had paws bigger than my hands!
With any wild animals, you have to always keep your wit's about you. The trainers instructed us to always be behind the tiger. We weren't suppose to pet them above the waist and we were to keep our hands away from their mouths. We were told to always stay with our guides and not stray away alone. Running was a definite no no. Lol.
Conclusion
This was definitely an experience that I will never forget. I have never been that close to an exotic animal before and it was both exhilarating and humbling. The animal lover in me wished that these tigers could roam free in the wild, but from what I saw, these tigers were well fed, and well cared for. They didn't have any cuts, wounds, or scars that would indicate any abuse. Again, from my research, this was one of the most humane tiger sanctuaries in Thailand. Unfortunately, some do not have that reputation. If you want to be up close and personal with a tiger, I would recommend coming here. Play at your own risk, listen to the trainers, and enjoy the experience!
FUNNY NOTE
There were signs around the grounds that said to watch out because Tiger's may "spray" you. In the picture above I thought I was about to get it! The tiger spared me and decided to keep me dry.
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