King asked to intervene on orang-utan case

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King asked to intervene on orang-utan case

 

Three British wildlife-protection groups launched a campaign early this week

to ask for His Majesty the King's help in returning to Indonesia 75

orang-utans confiscated from Safari World in Bangkok more than two years

ago.

 

Sean Whyte, founder of Nature Alert, a UK-based wildlife-conservation group,

wrote in an e-mail sent to The Nation that he believes " only the King can

now help these orang-utans " .

 

Whyte said that some 10,000 postcards addressed to the King have been freely

distributed to people all over the world requesting His Majesty's help in

the matter.

 

The postcards, which feature pictures of captured orang-utans and a message

asking for His Majesty's help in freeing them, were published by Nature

Alert, Orang-utan Appeal (UK) and the Borneo Orang-utan Survival Foundation

(UK).

 

In his e-mail, Whyte said that along with the other organisations involved,

he has taken every " reasonable " approach to both the Thai government and the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) Secretariat

in order to try and help the orang-utans, but has had no response.

 

Whyte said that a further 30,000 postcards - 10,000 each to the Thai

Ambassador to the UK, the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's

London office, and the secretary-general of the Cites Secretariat office in

Geneva - had also been distributed.

 

Forest Police and the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Plant

Varieties Conservation raided Safari World, a privately owned zoo in

Bangkok, in November 2003. They confiscated 75 baby orang-utans, which were

proved to have been procured through illegal trading.

 

Wildlife conservationists have requested that the animals be sent back to

Indonesia, where the orang-utans are believed to have come from.

 

The deputy director-general of the Department of Natural Resources, Chawal

Tanhikorn, said the department is unable to comply with their wishes because

there is no confirmation that the animals originate from the country as they

may also come from Malaysia, another natural habitat of orang-utans.

 

Chawal added that the department is working closely with the governments of

Malaysia and Indonesia to find out the exact origin of the orang-utans.

 

When this is ascertained, all of the animals will be sent back, he said.

 

Chawal also said that the orang-utans are now being kept at the Khao Pratap

Chang Wildlife Rescue Centre in Ratchaburi province. However, he added that

five of them have been " borrowed " by the Chiang Mai Night Safari to attract

visitors.

 

" I don't understand why the conservationists have not attacked the

orang-utans' country of origin. Instead, they've focussed on us, who have

helped to crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade, " he said.

 

Pennapa Hongthong, The Nation