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Images of 40 dead tiger cubs found in freezer in Thai temple are heartbreaking

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DailyBiteJun 01, 2016 | 19:04

Images of 40 dead tiger cubs found in freezer in Thai temple are heartbreaking

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Real life, they say, is stranger than fiction. But, sometimes, it can be more disgusting, sick and horrifying than the darkest works of fiction. In a raid to remove live animals in Thailand's famous Tiger Temple, authorities have found 40 dead tiger cubs in a freezer.

This is the same temple where tourists, including many Indians like you and me, click selfies with bottle-fed tiger cubs. This is, indeed, one of the most important attractions as the temple promises "close interaction" with the animals.

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Now, it might look pretty harmless and normal for a layperson, but many animal organisations have criticised this saying the tigers appear sedated when interacting with tourists. In the past, the temple has also been investigated for suspected links to wildlife trafficking and animal abuse.

The obvious questions, then, are: Who killed these animals? Why were the carcasses kept in the freezer and for how long? 

There are no concrete answers as of now. But, like all major tragedies, this one can also be traced to that all too familiar aspect of human nature - greed. Thailand has long been a hub for illicit trafficking of wildlife animals. It is also widely known that tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

You, the reader, might wonder and ask as to why we have chosen such a graphic and heartbreaking picture as our image of the day.

When humankind is anything but humane and man's greed is destroying rivers, animals and nature with alarming indifference, it becomes even more important for us to face, and at least acknowledge, this horrifying reality. This is our collective shame.

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Last updated: June 01, 2016 | 19:04
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