Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand The Hidden Cost of a Selfie: The Truth About Lion Cafés ( 5 photos )

 

We receive hundreds of messages after viral videos expose the exploitation behind lion cafés. While this awareness is vital, many other videos continue to promote these venues as “cute” and “fun” – without realizing the suffering behind the scenes. Read our report on the Shocking Rise in Farmed and Captive Lions in Thailand and our Urgent Call for Government Action.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44353-025-00040-4

Lions are not native to Thailand, and these cubs will never be released into the wild. They face a lifetime of captivity – simply to satisfy demand for close encounters. These lion cubs are not rescued. They are bred and rented or purchased from horrendous lion farms, where cubs are taken from their mothers at just a few weeks old. They are used for photos and cuddles until they grow too big – then, most are sent back to farms for breeding or face an even darker fate. These lions are exploited at every point of their lives. 

The conditions in these farms are dire. Lions are kept in barren cages for life, with females repeatedly bred to produce cubs for tourist attractions. All for a fleeting photo opportunity. Unfortunately, with the correct paperwork, it is legal to own a lion in Thailand.

Many people are particularly concerned about whether the lions are sedated – but that is just one part of a much bigger issue. Whether drugged or not, these animals should not be in cafés or used for human entertainment. The real problem is that they should never have been bred in the first place.

Wildlife interactions are never ethical

It’s not just lions. Any person or venue offering hands-on experiences with wildlife – whether it’s elephants, tigers, primates such as orangutans and slow loris, dolphins, or other animals – is exploiting them. We understand that animal lovers want to connect with wildlife, but true respect means observing animals from a distance in their natural environment, not forcing interactions for profit and entertainment.

Sedated for a selfie

What can you do?

• Don’t like, share, or comment on videos featuring captive lions in a fun or positive way
• Don’t visit places where you can interact with lions
• Don’t pay for shows with big cats or any wildlife
• Don’t pay to bottle-feed lions/ take photos with lions or any animal
• Send a report through our Report Illegal Wildlife Trade form, and we’ll provide information on how to report this to the authorities. The more people who raise concerns, the more likely it is that action will be taken.

Report to the authorities

Please report any observations to the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), which oversees wildlife management in Thailand, including the regulation of animals kept in private possession or zoos. They can be contacted via:

Phone: 1362
Facebook: DNP Facebook
Email: complain@dnp.mail.go.th or hotline1362@hotmail.com

For lions and other non-native wildlife listed under the CITES convention, please contact:

Phone: 095 314 5484 / 02-5610777 / 2912
Email: exocites@gmail.com or iwt_cites@dnp.mail.go.th or citesthailand@yahoo.com
Facebook: Non-Endemic Wildlife Management & CITES Thailand

If tourists stop paying for these experiences, the cycle of exploitation can end. 

Help spread awareness. Together, we can make a difference.

Authorities in Thailand are investigating after 72 tigers died suddenly at a popular tourist park where visitors can touch and pose with the animals.

 

A petting farm. This goes on all day. When this couple is told to stop, other people with a ticket  do exactly the same. The tigers are so docile that they are probably drugged. Please click on the video to enlarge. Mostly the teeth of the tigers are pulled or filed.

Mystery as 72 tigers suddenly die at Thai tourist park where visitors can touch the animals

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

 Updated: 09:46 GMT, 24 February 2026

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Authorities in Thailand are investigating after 72 tigers died suddenly at a popular tourist park where visitors can touch and pose with the animals.

The deaths occurred in less than two weeks across two facilities at Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai this month.

The provincial livestock department said tests detected canine distemper virus, though officials have not confirmed how the outbreak began.

At a press conference on Tuesday, authorities said the virus was no longer spreading, and no further tiger deaths had been recorded. No humans were infected.

The remains of the tigers have been buried, and a recommendation was made for the gravely ill tigers be euthanized, authorities said.

More than 240 tigers were housed at the two sites, according to local media. 

The facility advertises close-up encounters, allowing tourists to pet and take photos with the big cats. 

Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems. 

Authorities in Thailand are investigating after 72 tigers died suddenly at a popular tourist park where visitors can touch and pose with the animals. Pictured: A Thai couple seen taking pictures next to a tiger at Tiger Kingdom

The deaths occurred in less than two weeks across two facilities at Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai this month

The provincial livestock department said tests detected canine distemper virus, though officials have not confirmed how the outbreak began

It is most common in dogs but can infect big cats, often fatally. Officials also said samples from carcasses tested positive for a bacteria linked to respiratory illness.

Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director of the national livestock department, said detecting illness in tigers can be difficult. 'By the time we realised they were sick, it was already too late,' he told local media.

Authorities have collected samples from the animals, their food and their surroundings. 

In 2004, nearly 150 tigers died or were euthanized during a bird flu outbreak at a zoo in Chonburi province, also linked to raw chicken feed. 

Staff at the Chiang Mai park have been placed under observation for 21 days, though none have fallen ill, Thai PBS reported.

Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai has closed temporarily for two weeks while disinfection work is carried out. 

Animal rights groups said the outbreak exposed the risks faced by captive wildlife used for entertainment.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand said in a statement that the tigers' deaths exposed the 'extreme vulnerability of captive wildlife facilities to infectious disease'.

Tragedies like this would be far less likely to happen if tourists stayed away from these attractions, Peta Asia said in a statement.

VIDEO: The making of Happy Doggo: What started as one man is now a global organization, with employees, partners, and volunteers all over the world.

The making of Happy Doggo

What started as one man is now a global organization, with employees, partners, and volunteers all over the world.

 

2021

Humble beginnings

In early 2021, Niall Harbison was recovering from a near-death experience caused by substance abuse. In an effort to get back on track, he started jogging around Koh Samui, Thailand.

Observing many malnourished dogs, he started bringing food to some and sharing the videos online.

2022

Building momentum

Niall's videos started to attract the attention of people all over the world who wanted to help.

He began feeding and vaccinating as many dogs as he could, but he quickly realized that sterilization was the only way to fix the problem long-term.

2023

Going global

In 2023, Niall travelled to Europe, The US, and Dubai, organizing walks where dog lovers could meet up, chat, and talk about their collective goals to help street dogs.

Thousands of people turned up to talk to Niall. We found out how much dog lovers all over the world have been inspired to rescue dogs and help street dogs because of Niall and Happy Doggo's work

Today

Meanwhile, there were still hundreds of sick street dogs with nowhere to go. Niall secured a piece of land and set about making a sanctuary for dogs to recuperate, taking in only the most sick and vulnerable dogs. 

Today, Happy Doggo Land has capacity for 15 dogs, an on-site kitchen that prepares food for over 1,000 dogs a day, and a field clinic for Happy Doggo residents and visiting street dogs. In 2025, we will also begin construction on a state of the art hospital to treat an even wider range of injuries and illnesses.  

Tina's Hospital will be located adjacent to Happy Doggo Land. With approximately 3,117 square feet of medical facilities, it will host 2 operating theatres, diagnostic facilities such as x-rays, as well as an in-house lab, a pharmacy, and an intensive care unit.

Sign the petition please: A new undercover investigation has revealed heartbreaking conditions for animals at a monkey zoo and show in Thailand.

PETITION:

 https://www.wfft.org/close-down-monkey-zoo-and-show/

A new undercover investigation has revealed heartbreaking conditions for animals at a monkey zoo and show on Koh Samui, in Thailand.

Dozens of monkeys, including infants, are being kept in tiny, rubbish-filled cages. Some even chained by their neck. Footage shows the primates frantically pacing back and forth non-stop, a sign of psychological despair called ‘zoocosis’.

Moved by their plight, Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) have launched a campaign calling for their rescue. As one of South East Asia’s largest animal sanctuaries across 90 hectares of forested land and an on-site wildlife hospital, we stand ready to assist in rehoming all the animals trapped in this hellhole.

In addition to the disturbing animal cruelty documented at the zoo, the investigation has unveiled alarming public health concerns. Many monkeys at the facility were observed coughing persistently, potentially indicating the presence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB).

What is particularly concerning is that visitors are actively encouraged to engage in physical interaction with the animals, including feeding, touching, and even hugging the coughing monkeys. Thailand’s burden of human TB is one of the highest in the world, and zoonotic transmission between infected humans and wild or captive macaques is an ongoing public health concern. With Koh Samui a hotspot for tourists around the world, there is legitimate concern about the public health risk posed by this facility.

For years, this zoo has been abusing animals and putting the public at risk. We must finally come together to put a stop to this.

Please sign and share the campaign calling for the zoo and show to be shut down immediately and the animals moved to an appropriate rescue centre. Together, we hope to give these animals the life they deserve.

https://www.wfft.org/close-down-monkey-zoo-and-show/

https://www.wfft.org/