Tigers Are Not Oyens: Think Before You Include “Big Cat Interactions” In Your Holiday List
Tiger interactions are often popular tourist attractions but here’s why you should think first.
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Tigers are one of the magnificent species in the wild that continue to amaze people, young and old. The Big Cat is charming, but we all know that they are also dangerous.
When people have the chance to interact with tigers, they take up the opportunity without thinking twice.
If you’re an avid TikTok user, you might have noticed videos of Malaysians travelling to Thailand and visiting “tiger sanctuaries”, among them in Phuket.
Such places allow tourists to interact closely with tigers, giving them a chance to get up close and personal with cubs and adult tigers.
They are able to walk alongside a tiger, sit down with them and even pat them for photos and videos.
Tigers In Captivity
The experience can be considered as once in a lifetime but before we engage in tourism activities, it is always good to do a little research beforehand.
This is because, despite the popularity of such attractions, whether in Thailand or other countries, there is always the concern of potential unethical practices apart from posing serious concerns for the well-being of both the tigers, and visitors.
For one, the interactions that many people enjoy with the tigers are usually considered “forced interactions”.
Despite being in the cat family, tigers are not your domestic “oyen”.
Tigers are frequently forced into unnatural interactions with tourists, such as posing for photos, being walked on leashes, or participating in feeding sessions.
These activities prevent the tigers from exhibiting natural behaviours.
Think about this for a moment, tigers are predators. Would a tiger in the “wild” consent to you tugging on its tail just for a video that would make you look cool on TikTok?
Pic Credit: Istockimages
Meanwhile, to meet the demand for cub interactions, cubs are often separated from their mothers at an early age, leading to stress and depriving them of essential social and survival skills they would normally learn in the wild.
To add to the misery, some places keep these poor tigers in very bad condition.
Many facilities keep tigers in small, barren enclosures or chain them to platforms, significantly restricting their movement and causing psychological stress.
Cubs used for tourist interactions are often kept in poor conditions and subjected to frequent handling by both staff and visitors, which can lead to injury and further stress.
Pic Credit: Istockimages
The constant interaction with humans and the unnatural living conditions can lead to severe physical and mental health issues for the tigers, including anxiety, depression, and physical injuries.
It is not fair for tigers to be used for entertainment purposes.
Just because they do not retaliate, it does not make it right.
Put yourselves in their paws for a second and you might just understand what these poor creatures go through just for your 30 second shot for TikTok.
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