Tiger Temple - Kanchanaburi - Thailand
Obviously visiting the Tiger Temple is a popular tourist activity, as there was a long queue of people being processed. NO RED or BRIGHT COLOURED CLOTHES Anyone wearing red was asked to change into something in a paler shade and they had T shirts for people to borrow if necessary. Apparently the tigers react to red and other bright colours of a similar hue. It seems the saying “ red rag to a bull” applies to other animals as well! Although the original idea was that the tigers would eventually have their own island to run free on, this has apparently not yet happened. Eight tigers or more tigers were playing, or lounging on the stones in the sun.Some of the bigger, older ones were tethered on long chains, the smaller younger ones, were free. It seems not so long ago....... most were untethered. Higher visitor numbers may have required a change. How to Pat a Tiger!
When your turn comes, you are escorted by one of the volunteers to your allocated tigers . You are given instructions on where to place yourself.......behind the tiger, and are able to pat and stroke about four tigers. A second volunteer is allocated to each person to take photos of you with the tigers on your own camera.I was also given the opportunity to sit with two large tigers, as they lay on their big flat rock. It really is an amazing experience to be this close to these magnificent wild animals. One woman we met at dinner was absolutely thrilled. She had been at the temple late, and being one of the last was invited to walk with the tigers back to their cages for the night. The temple closes at 4.30 p.m.
The monks clearly have a wonderful rapport with these lovely animals. They get a friendly slap on the nose when they start to play up, but they were always careful and caring with them. Around the Tiger Temple Grounds
After our turn with the tigers we wandered through the rest of the temple grounds, coming across various other animals............a pig in a sand pile was having a great time. Wildebeest, horses...including some cute miniatures........ and a small bear cooling off in his barrel of water in his cage. 
NOTE: There has been some discussion on how these lovely animals are cared for here. I have read quite a bit including an article by some volunteers who say they are well looked after – fed cooked chicken, cat food for the minerals and beef and are not ill treated in any way. They point out that these animals have been rescued and would probably be dead if they were not here at the Temple. Much of the daily work is done by volunteers both local and international. Women cannot actually go inside the main temple hall,but you can go up to it which is open. Men can go in but must take of their shoes.
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We followed the crowd through the gates, down a long driveway eventually turning left and down to the canyon, with large flat rocks and a pool of water for the tigers to swim in. 
