Propaganda

“The Tiger and the Monk” is a propaganda piece for the so-called Tiger Temple in Thailand, where Theravada Buddhist monks live together with, you guessed it, tigers. It’s a Buddhist thing, apparently. Harmony between man and beast. The lion and the lamb. That kind of stuff.

According to Wikipedia (which cites references), the “temple” really functions as a private menagerie, complete with entrance fees for foreign tourists. A wide variety of other animals are also held at the premises, and international conservation organizations have accused the monks of illegal trade in, well, tigers. The temple was raided by Thai authorities earlier this year. In the end, the tigers were found to be in perfect mint condition and therefore given back to the pious monks, while the unlicensed presence of 38 protected birds led to Big Mama pressing charges…

Perhaps I'm cynical or Euro-centrist, but it does seem strange that even Christians and Muslims so readily give tiger cubs to the Buddhist monks, after “accidentally” killing the mother. Surely, some kind of remuneration above and beyond a Buddhist blessing cannot be ruled out? But sure, the tigers look well fed, cared for and, in their own kind of way, harmonious…

Did you notice the non-monkish zoo keepers, BTW?

(Originally posted in 2015)