Weather.com - Lorraine Boissoneault and Camille Mann, 7/12/13
From monasteries built on the side of an active volcano, to temples seemingly suspended in air on the side of mountains, religious architecture around the world has often relied on engineering feats of great ingenuity to withstand the elements and the test of time.
Tiger Temple - Thailand. A Thai buddhist monk talks on a radio while walking past tigers at a tiger buddhist temple in Karnchanaburi province western of Thailand on April 24, 2012. (Pornchai Kittiwongskul/AFP/Getty Images)
Tigers living alongside Buddhist monks sounds like the beginning a children's fable, but that's exactly what happens at Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua in Thailand. Also known as the "Tiger Temple," the monks adopted their first orphaned tiger in 1999 after its mother was killed by poachers. Since then, the temple has exploded with wildlife -- almost 100 tigers live there now, and tourists can pay to take pictures with them, walk them, and pet them, according to the BBC. Critics, like the animal welfare organization Care for the Wild, claim that the tigers are being mistreated and possibly drugged, which accounts for their docile behavior. Despite the rumors, those working at the temple insist the tigers are well cared for, reported Time. In an interview with ABC, Margarita Steinhardt, one of the head caretakers, said it would be extremely dangerous to try and drug the tigers, and that the temple has nothing to hide.
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