Thailand re-examines tiger sale

January 6, 2007

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, January/February 2007:

BANGKOK--The Thai National Counter Corruption Commission is

reportedly re-investigating the long controversial export in 2002 of

100 tigers from the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo in Chon Buri to a privately

owned zoo or tiger farm, depending on definitions, in Hainan,

China.

" Ex-forest department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi allegedly

delivered those tigers to China without approval from the National

Wildlife Protection Committee, " wrote Apinya Wipatayotin of the

Bangkok Post. " The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

once set up a probe panel to look into the case. The committee later

concluded Plodprasop did not commit any offence, " but observers were

less convinced.

Plodprasop had previously been fisheries minister, but lost

the job amid allegations of corruption. He eventually lost the

forest ministry under similar circumstances. He now heads the Chiang

Mai Night Safari zoo.

Damrong Phidet, director general of the National Park, Wildlife and

Plant Conservation Department, on November 6, 2006 halted an

exchange of elephants from the Night Safari Zoo for white tigers from

the Chime-Long Night Zoo in Guangzhou, China, because the origins

of the elephants was insufficiently documented.

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

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