Tigers of Chiang Mai

I did not think that getting up close to a nearly full grown tiger was something that I would ever do.

Anna, on the other hand,

 lover of all animals and especially anything small thought this would be an absolutely fantastic way to spend a morning.

Then I couldn't help but start thinking.

Safety being first and then wondering whether or not it was ethical.

Are the tigers sedated? Is this a gimmick? Is it right to have animals raised in captivity being put out there for our entertainment? But is this any different than a zoo?

Trip advisor has it at a four star rating, and #4 out of 20 for top things to do in Chiang Mai.

The web site guarantees no sedation and good treatment.

So lucky we made friends with Cha on the street corner.... who is giving us a "special deal" for a private taxi for the day and off we went.

He said he is just happy when he has work.
We were happy he was willing to make stops along the way and find us a great local place for lunch.

( and yes, it was cheaper and way more convenient then our other options.... We googled....)

Tiger Kingdom was professional and efficient. There was information on raising, breeding, training and caring for the tigers for us.  I have no idea what they would do if a tiger got aggressive as each trainer only had a stick. I guess that is why part of entry cost covers insurance.

Our trainer said that each trainer / team of trainers is assigned to a litter when they are born.

They do all the training from birth and move up with the tiger until they are too old to ensure consistent obedience.

At 3 when they are full grown they go to breeding and are sold to zoos, but only zoos in Thailand.

Anna had a permanent grin on her face and spent time with the babies (2-3 months old) and quite playful. Then we jumped right up to the largest litter, 19 months old and nearly full grown.

Brad was hesitant at first but seemed to get down right cocky!

All in all, it was a definite highlight.  Everyone will have to decide on the ethics of this type of adventure but we were glad we did it.

When else could you ever get this close to a tiger? There is something very unique in it that is hard to describe.

We read that this species of tiger is rare with only about 270 still in the wild.  These are bread in captivity and could never  survive in the wild. So I am glad there is work done both to preserve them in the wild and here.

I know this is the only environment I ever hope to meet up with one!!!

Now Anna... Off to some temples!