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The Taking of Thailand’s Temple Tigers (18 photos)

In Kanchanaburi province, Thailand, a Buddhist temple known as the Tiger Temple, has become a popular tourist attraction—and a source of controversy. For years, accusations of illegal breeding, inadequate care, and animal trafficking have hounded the temple, which housed as many as 140 of the big cats.  This week, Thai wildlife officials armed with a court order entered the temple to remove the tigers and investigate potential criminal misconduct. The carcasses of at least 40 undeclared tiger cubs were discovered in a freezer on the property.