Forty Tiger Cubs Found Dead Inside Thailand's Tiger Temple

Police have found bodies of 40 newborn tiger cubs inside freezers at the controversial "Tiger Temple," in Kanchanaburi Province, west of Bangkok. They have also intercepted a monk trying to leave the temple in a truck filled with tiger fangs and skins.

The Wildlife Conservation Office (WCO) is doing an investigation on the motives why the temple was storing the bodies of dead tiger cubs inside the temple freezer. They are also considering the possibility that it is part of smuggling tiger parts, the organization's director, Teunjai Noochdumrong told CNN.

Wildlife officials said they will file new criminal charges after what they have discovered. They also said that the cubs were only one or two days old when they died. Police Colonel Bandith Meungsukhum said they still don't have any lead on how long the cubs had been dead.

The dead cubs "must be of some value for the temple", Adisorn Nuchdamrong, from Thailand's Department of National Parks, told Reuters news agency. "But for what is beyond me."

According to BBC News, tiger bones and body parts are used usually used in Chinese medicine. At the time of the interview, monks at the temple were not available for comment, but they have previously denied trafficking allegations. However, the temple has released a statement on its Facebook page saying that the survival rate of tiger cubs in the temple was comparatively low and that when these cubs die, the temple used to cremate them. However, a veterinarian changed the policy in 2010 to "probably keep as proof against the allegations of selling cubs".

The discovery of the cubs' bodies is further evidence that the facility broke an agreement that they would inform the WCO if new cubs were born at the temple, said Teunjai Noochdumrong. The organization believes the temple's license to keep tigers should be revoked.

"We are determining if we will file a legal suit against the temple," Noochdumrong said. She also said that if they are found attempting to smuggle the tiger cub remains, temple officials could face up to four years in jail and or be fined up to $1,121 (THB40,000).