On the outskirts of Pattaya, in the district of Siracha is the world's largest tiger zoo. It is not like other zoos, where animals live in enclosures and visitors can only admire them from behind a strong net. Siracha Zoo can be called a contact zoo. Here you can hold a tiger cub in your arms and feed it milk from a bottle for a fee. A local photographer will take care of a good photo as a souvenir. Everyone can pet camels, ride elephants, play with monkeys, Peruvian guinea pigs, wallabies, take care of domestic animals: goats, donkeys, rabbits, cows, etc.
There are about 400 tigers in the zoo. About a hundred of them frolic in the huge playground, near which many spectators usually gather. Zoo guests also enjoy the enclosures where a tigress feeds piglets and a sow raises tiger cubs. The tigers participate in performances that take place several times a day at the zoo. The trainer makes them jump through burning rings, dance and walk on ropes. In 2004, a scandal erupted in the world press. The owners of the zoo in Pattaya were accused of cruel treatment of pets. Since then, some tricks involving tigers were removed from the programme. Interest in the performances is fuelled by a young woman called the Scorpion Queen. She performs with live scorpions that crawl over her body.
The zoo also has a crocodile farm where 10,000 crocodiles are kept. You can taste the meat of these reptiles in a local restaurant, and in the souvenir shop you can buy items made from their skin.
