Suspected tiger slaughter house with connection to Tiger Temple raided in Thailand

A suspected tiger slaughterhouse and holding facility has been discovered by police in Thailand, a week after dead tiger cubs were discovered at the Tiger Temple.

Police raided a home 48 kilometres from the infamous Tiger Temple, which allows tourists to take photos with tigers and was raided last week, The Guardian reports.

Authorities believe the house, situated in an isolated area and surrounded by fences, is a holding facility and slaughterhouse run by the Tiger Temple, police colonel Montri Pancharoen, deputy commander of the crime suppression division, said.

“We believe it was used by the Tiger Temple to hold live tigers before slaughtering them for their skins, meat and bones to be exported outside the country, or sent to restaurants in Thailand that serve tiger meat to tour groups,” he said.

A room was found inside the home with a large work area and a number of knives. Police believe it served as a slaughter area.

Colonel Montri said two caretakers were detained at the facility, who told police the tigers were the private property of the home owner, who police are searching for.

“The Tiger Temple is just a starting point, or a supplier,” he said.

“We have information that the Tiger Temple is not the only place that supplies tigers to illegal smugglers.”

Last week authorities discovered 40 dead tiger cubs in a freezer at the Tiger Temple, which had claimed to be a sanctuary, and removed 137 tigers from the property.

A further 20 baby tigers were preserved in jars, other jars were filled with tiger organs.