Story highlights Wildlife officials moved in after complaints from tourists and concerns for their welfare

The tigers are being moved to a compound in another province

Bangkok (CNN) Authorities armed with tranquilizer guns are still trying to capture dozens of tigers at a controversial Buddhist temple in Thailand after temple staff allegedly set some free to delay the process.

"Yesterday was mayhem," Wildlife Conservation Office (WCO) director Teunjai Noochdumrong told CNN Tuesday.

"When our vet team arrived, there were tigers roaming around everywhere," Noochdumrong said. "Looks like the temple intentionally let these tigers out, trying to obstruct our work."

The "Tiger Temple," in Kanchanaburi Province west of Bangkok, has long been popular with tourists , who could walk among the tigers and pose for photos. Thailand's Wildlife Conservation Office (WCO) said the temple's 137 tigers posed a danger to visitors and that they were being mistreated.

A tourist poses for a photo with a tiger at the Thai temple in 2012.

However, when staff from the WCO arrived Monday morning to remove the tigers, temple officials refused to let them in. After a half-day stand off, wildlife officers finally entered and were able to sedate eight tigers.

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