Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Thai grrr!

I was happy to learn that there may be more tigers in Thailand than was previously thought. I like tigers, maybe because unlike crocodiles, I have never met a tiger except in a zoo.

In Asia, the tiger is the King of Beasts! In fact, the tiger really is the King of Beasts, having been voted the "world's favourite animal" in a poll conducted by Animal Planet. (Dogs finished second.)

Three species of tiger have become extinct, but six species still remain. The tigers in Thailand are Indochinese tigers (Panthera tigris corbetti), but no matter which species you pick, there is no such thing as a small adult tiger. Male adults of each species grow to eleven feet in length and weigh about 650 lbs.

The Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua Temple in western Thailand is known as the Tiger Temple. There are 34 tigers living with the monks there. I think those are very brave monks! Sadly, that's ten percent of the tigers still known to live in Thailand. You can see a video of those tigers at YouTube.

Now that I live in the United States, I am much more pro-tiger than I used to be. My sister Mem, who still lives in Thailand, is not as big a fan.

*****

I think this is the first time I've ever updated a post, but I just learned there is some good news from Thailand for tigers: Sudjai Chanthawong, the head of Thailand's biggest tiger trafficking ring, has been arrested!