(MY) snakes in cooking pot

[Guest guest]

Sunday March 11, 2007-The Sunday Star

 

Deadly end for rescued snakes

 

I WAS full of praise for the Wildlife Department when I read your

report about '2,400 snakes cargo bound for Hong Kong seized " (The

Star, March 7). It showed their effectiveness in acting on a tip-off

on illegal smuggling of wildlife.

 

However, your follow-up report on Thursday that the same snakes were

now up for sale gave me a sense of disappointment and sadness. The

snakes that were saved from someone's " cooking pot " were now about to

end the same way. The only difference this time, was that it was being

done legally.

 

I guess what the Wildlife Department actually gained from this whole

process was in prosecuting the guilty party but at the same time

sending out the message that it is all right to catch these creatures

to be sold as exotic food and souvenirs.

 

I do understand, however, their reason for selling the snakes as

releasing them in such huge numbers into the wild would pose a problem

to the ecosystem in the long run.

 

Being a government department it probably didn't prepare itself for

such cases which makes me wonder whether all the previous seizures

that were reported (mostly pythons and cobras) ended up in the same

manner.

 

Still I believe there are ways that the department can work with

authorities from neighbouring countries to solve this problem rather

than take the short way out by selling them to traders just because

they are not yet endangered!

 

I am not sure whether the snakes were given to the zoo because I know

for a fact that both the Malacca and Taiping zoos do not have this

species.

 

This whole episode should be a lesson for the Wildlife Department to

come up with an action plan should such cases recur in the future.

 

I realise that most Malaysians think that snakes are dangerous

creatures and protecting them really doesn't bring any benefit to us.

 

Snakes are also part of our natural resources. Each creature that is

present on this planet has a role to play. Just because they are

different than your average fluffy cat doesn't mean they are bad or

dangerous.

 

Snakes will likely slither away when they encounter humans; faster

than a human can kill them.

 

I hope the Wildlife Department will put in more efforts in future to

save the creatures it seizes from illegal traders rather than send

them back to the dinner table.

 

KA,

 

Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

--\

--------------

 

Rescued reptiles to be released into the wild- New Straits Times-

11 Mar 2007

Ranjeetha Pakiam

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Out of the cooking pot and back into the wild. The

reptiles found in Temerloh will not suffer the same fate as the 2,400

banded rat snakes seized in Penang recently, which were auctioned off

by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).

 

Instead, the 748 clouded monitor lizards, 231 oriental rat snakes and

four king cobras will be released into the wild after being saved from

the prospects of being eaten or having their skin turned into wallets

or boots.

 

Perhilitan law and enforcement director Misliah Mohamed Basir said the

reptiles could be released back into the jungles as they were native

to Malaysia.

 

Unlike the banded rat snakes, which came from Thailand, she said it

was safe to release the reptiles as they would not disrupt the

ecosystem.

 

" I have directed the state Perhilitan director to release the animals

once all the legal procedures are completed, " she said.

 

The reptiles, along with 800 grammes of pangolin bones and scales

meant for the local traditional medicine market, were seized in a raid

on a tannery in Temerloh last Friday.

 

Just four days days earlier, Penang Perhilitan officers raided the

Batu Maung Cargo Complex and found 2,400 banded rat snakes.

 

The snakes were auctioned off on Wednesday to licensed snake dealers.

 

She said the other options were to euthanise the snakes or send them

back to Thailand.

 

" But the chances of the Thai authorities taking back the snakes are

slim as they are not of great value. That is why the department

decided to sell the snakes to get some revenue instead of just killing

them. "

 

As the banded rat snake is a protected species under the Protection of

Wildlife Act 1972, Misliah said the department could issue licences

for the reptiles to be sold within the country or exported.

 

The banded rat snakes are allowed for commercial trade under Appendix

II of the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species

of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

 

Misliah said the department was reluctant to send the snakes to its

rescue centre in Malacca Zoo as it did not have the capacity to hold

such a large number.

 

She added that the department had also considered the fact that the

snakes could be carrying diseases and did not wish to expose the

animals at the zoo to risks.

 

She said the case in Penang was now being investigated.

 

" It is a lucrative business, so the smugglers try their best to

outsmart the authorities, but the public is now more aware of these

activities and have been very helpful in alerting us. "

 

Misliah said Perhilitan was also finalising amendments to the

Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 to offer greater protection to a wider

scope of Malaysian animals.

 

She said amendments to the Act would be sent to the Attorney-General's

Chambers soon and were expected to be passed by the end of this year.

 

The amendments will also include stiffer penalties against smugglers.