Following the recent events in Thailand, it’s a pleasant change to be writing about something more light-hearted. In an experiment at Sri Racha Tiger Zoo, just outside Pattaya, tigers and pigs have been swapping roles in what the zoo is calling its ‘Happy Families’ project. A sow has been suckling two tiger cubs whilst a tigress has been suckling six piglets. As This is Thailand (T.I.T.), it’s only natural that the piglets are dressed in orange and black-striped tiger vests (pictured right). The zoo has drawn some criticism for the project, but that seems to have been outweighed by the favourable reaction from visitors who deem the sight of piglets in tiger costumes to be ‘narak mak ma’ (very cute).
Thailand is a country that doesn’t bow easily to political correctness or animal rights and just to confirm that, here is what a zoo vet said about the thinking behind giving tiger cubs a pig as a surrogate mother:
“It is to calm the tigers’ fierce behaviour because the pig will not teach them to hunt or be wild. The pig will only lie down and feed them so that could help them calm their fierceness.”
Amazing Thailand.
Sri Racha Tiger Zoo is located south-east of Bangkok in Chonburi province, approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Pattaya and features on the itineraries of most Pattaya travel agents and tour companies. The zoo is home to various types of animals, but it is the Bengal tigers which are the main attraction with visitors lining up to have their photograph taken with one of the tiger cubs. Sri Racha Tiger Zoo is open daily from 08.00 to 18.00 and admission prices are 300 Baht for adults, 150 Baht for children.
photos from Thaiways magazine
