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It was among 10 tigers at a facility owned by Nguyen Mau Chien, who imported 15 of them as cubs illegally in 2007-2008 and has been ordered by the government to take care of them until now.
The dead male tiger, one of the largest at the facility, measured 1.65 meters in length and 1 meter in height, with yellow fur and black stripes.
Trinh Dinh Bach, the manager of the facility, who is hired by Chien, said that the tiger displayed signs of fatigue in the days leading up to its death. It refused to eat and was not active.
Following its death, local authorities placed the tiger's body in a freezer at the facility, pending further instructions from the government.
They have asked Chien to hand over the corpse to be destroyed, but he refused.
Of the 15 tigers at his facility, six have died over the years.
Although Chien has been fined a total of VND60 million ($2,444) for animal trafficking, local authorities have tasked him with raising the tigers in the last 17 years.
Since 2018, authorities have offered to take the streak of tigers off the family's hands and given to wildlife rescue centers or other suitable organizations, but this has not happened over financial disagreements.
Chien wants to be compensated for what he has spent for many years to raise the tigers, but no organization is willing to do that.
The tigers consume around 100 kilograms of food every day, which costs Chien several hundred million dong (VND100 million = $4,400) annually. He has also invested large amounts in building the facility.
These expenses have become a financial burden for Chien and his family for years.
The Education for Nature – Vietnam, an NGO with focus on wildlife protection, and several other wildlife protection organizations have called on the government, ministries and the administration of Thanh Hoa Province to seize the tigers from Chien.
However, the authorities, after many meetings, have concluded that "there is no legal basis" for them to seize the tigers.
Nguyen Manh Chien's tiger captive facility in Thanh Hoa Province. Video by VnExpress/Le Hoang
