More than half of the 147 tigers rescued three years ago from a Buddhist temple in Thailand have since died of disease, wildlife officials say.
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The tigers were vulnerable to illness because of inbreeding, leading to 86 dying from respiratory failure, said national parks official Patarapol Maneeorn.
The DNA of all 147 confiscated tigers could be traced to six tigers who were the original breeding stock, said Patarapol.
Such inbreeding "affects their well-being, resulting in disabilities and weakened health condition," he said at a news conference. "And when they have weakened genetic traits, they also have problems with their immune system as well."
The temple in the western province of Kanchanaburi served for more than a decade as a de facto zoo where tourists could feed tigers and pose for photos with them, despite concerns about possible mistreatment and suspicions of wildlife trafficking.
Police found tiger skins and teeth and at least 1,500 amulets made from tiger bones when they raided the temple, as well as 60 cub carcasses stuffed in freezers and in formaldehyde in jars.
Patarapol said Thai authorities would do their best to care for the surviving rescued tigers.
Australian Associated Press
