(Thailand) Night Safari to send elephants to China

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Night Safari plans to ship elephants to China

Bangkok Post

KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI

August 22, 2006

 

Chiang Mai Night Safari is preparing to send five Thai elephants and 24

other wild animals to China under an exchange agreement which faces fierce

opposition from animal right activists. The pachyderms _ two males and three

females _ are due to depart for Chime-Long Night Zoo in Guangzhou on Sept 7,

according to the Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, which obtained a

copy of the memorandum of agreement.

 

Under the agreement signed between Chiang Mai Night Safari and Guangzhou

Panyu Xiangjiang Safari Park Co, Thailand will send 29 wild animals,

including douc langurs, black swans and false gavials, in exchange for a

pair of white tigers and about 87 other Chinese wild animals.

 

''Our initial fact-finding probe found the certificates of the five

elephants were likely illegally issued. The papers also lack details about

the elephants' age and where they were born. Thus, it is suspected they

might be wild elephants,'' said Soraida Salwala, foundation

secretary-general.

 

She said the swap was a threat to the Thai elephant population.

 

''We have lost eight elephants to Australian zoos, and no more Thai

elephants should be exported to other countries,'' said Ms Soraida,

referring to the export of eight Thai elephants to Taronga Zoo in Sydney and

Melbourne Zoo in July.

 

Supoj Methapiwat, director of the zoo's animal management office, refused to

go into detail when asked about the animal exchange programme with China.

''I can't comment on this. My job is only to take care of the animals in the

zoo,'' he said.

 

But he admitted that China had sent a pair of white tigers and some

antelopes to his zoo earlier this year. ''As far as I know, these animals

are a gift to caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Thailand

should not have to send any animals to China in return,'' said Mr Supoj.

 

Thailand's Cites Office, which supervises the import and export of wild

animals protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species, declined to confirm the planned export. Asian elephants are on the

Cites' most endangered species list.

 

Damrong Pidet, chief of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Department, admitted the department had received a letter seeking permission

to export the elephants to China. ''Wildlife officials are going to examine

the elephants to ensure they haven't been poached from the wild and that

they have legal certification as captive elephants,'' he said.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/22Aug2006_news02.php

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Night Safari to send elephants to China

The Nation

Pennapa Hongthong

August 22, 2006

 

Environmentalists up in arms over deal

 

With the controversy over the export of eight elephants to Australia still

fresh in the minds of Thai and international environmentalists, the Chiang

Mai Night Safari has agreed to send to China 29 wild animals from four

endangered species.

 

The species marked to be exported to Guangzhou Panyu Xiangjiang Safari Park

were elephants, chimpanzees, Douc langue monkeys and false gavial.

Chimpanzee and Douc langue monkeys are not native species to Thailand while

the false gavial, a crocodile species, is very rare in the country because a

breeding programme has not yet succeeded.

 

All of the four species are on the list of Appendix I of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) which means only the third

generation of a captive born creature can be exported.

 

" It is so dubious as to how the Night Safari could export species that are

non-native to Thailand, and a species that we could not breed, to other

countries, " said Surapol Duangkhae, secretary-general of Wildlife Fund

Thailand.

 

He demanded the Night Safari disclose the process of how it obtained the

animals before sending them to China.

 

Soraida Salwala, secretary-general of the Friends of Asian Elephants

Foundation, who obtained a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

signed between a representative of Guangzhou Panyu Xiangjiang Safari Park

and the Thai Consulate General in Guangzhou, said it stated that Thailand

would try its best to obtain chimpanzees and send them to China.

 

According to Soraida, the Consulate General signed the MoU last October as

an authorised representative of Chiang Mai Night Safari. The animal

exchange, stated the MoU, was to strengthen relations between the two

countries.

 

Thailand would receive 89 wild animals of 14 species including white tigers,

wild yaks and white-lipped deers in the exchange.

 

Supoj Methaphiwat, director of Chiang Mai Night Safari's animal management

division, said he did not know about the MoU, saying it was better to ask

his boss Plodprasop Suraswadi, director of the night safari. Plodprasop was

not available for comment yesterday.

 

Supoj said the night safari recently obtained a chimpanzee from Sriracha

Tiger Zoo, while there was no Douc langue monkey or false gavial at the zoo.

 

Soraida said five elephants were marked for the first shipment to China on

September 7.

 

She said the origin of the elephants was still in doubt as it was with the

eight elephants sent to Australia. She demanded DNA tests be conducted to

identify the origins of the creatures.

 

Wattana Wittayaprasit, head of Cites Thailand, said he knew about the MoU,

but had not yet given approval to the Night Safari to export the animals.

 

" We have to think carefully. The death of two elephants [two days after they

were exported to China two years ago] taught us to think carefully before

giving approval, " he said.

 

According to Soraida, the Asian Conservation Alliance has learned about the

MoU and was paying attention to the issue. She said the alliance, which

includes many Thai conservation groups, would call a meeting on Friday.

 

http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/08/22/national/national_30011640.php

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Xiangjiang Safari park:

 

http://www.chimelong.com/

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Chiang Mai Night Safari:

 

http://www.chiangmainightsafari.com/