CAMBODIA: Safari World embroiled in animal trafficking controversy, again

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Safari World embroiled in animal trafficking controversy, again

 

By Liam Cochrane

 

The Safari World animal park in Koh Kong Province - which has a checkered

track record dealing with wild animals - has been asked to apply for

retroactive import permits for 22 orangutans allegedly smuggled in from

Thailand, or risk having the animals confiscated.

 

On November 10, the Cambodian office for the Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), sent a letter

to Ly Yong Phat, the owner of Safari World's parent company Koh Kong

International Resort Casino, inviting him to begin the application process.

 

If there is no response, a second and third letter will be issued before the

animals are confiscated by the Forestry Administration (FA) and conservation

NGO Wildaid, said a Cambodian CITES officer, who asked not to be named.

 

In January last year the park received a letter from the Minister of

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chan Sarun, giving a general approval

for the orangutans' import but requested the Forestry Administration and

CITES be involved in transporting and caring for the animals.

 

" After they got the approval they do themselves s they just ignore the

process, " said the CITES officer about the " illegal import. "

 

The orangutans currently perform various tricks for mostly Thai tourists,

including a boxing routine that was recently banned in a similar park

outside of Bangkok.

 

Thai police visited Indonesia in late November to return an unknown number

of orangutans from Bangkok Safari World after authorities found that most of

the park's 150 primates had been illegally acquired from Indonesia.

 

Bangkok Safari World has different owners than the Koh Kong Park, said

Nokkaew Weerapun, assistant manager for Koh Kong Safari World, but

conservationists believe the same animal trainers work in both parks.

 

Animal rights activists have appealed to Thai and Indonesian authorities to

look into several cases of illegal importation, including the Koh Kong

Safari World.

 

" The Cambodian CITES authorities have repeatedly confirmed to us that 22

orangutans were smuggled into Cambodia from Thailand earlier this year, "

said a November letter from Edwin Wiek, the Thailand representative of

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.

 

Amphoun Phan, manager of Koh Kong Safari Park, refused to speak about the

orangutans, passing on a message through her personnel supervisor Cha

Veasna: " If you want some information of animals we could not give it to

you. It's up to the president. "

 

Repeated attempts to contact Ly Yong Phat have been unsuccessful, with staff

saying he is overseas but not knowing when he will return or how he can be

contacted.

 

Government and NGO inspectors have been denied access to animals and

information at Safari World in the past, and the vast influence of wealthy

businessman Ly Yong Phat has some government officials reluctant to probe

too deeply into his affairs.

 

The park has a record of controversy, with general manager of the casino, Ra

Phin, confirming to the Post in October that the death of eight endangered

Irrawaddy dolphins had gone unreported for nearly two years.

 

 

 

Edwin Wiek

- Wildlife Friends of Thailand

 

www.wfft.org <http://www.wfft.org/>

 

Thailand Representative - Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation

 

www.savetheorangutan.info <http://www.savetheorangutan.info/>