(MY) gorillas in Pretoria

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Thursday April 5, 2007-The Star

 

Bungle delays return of gorillas

 

By HILARY CHIEW

 

PETALING JAYA: A bureaucratic bungle has again disrupted the

repatriation of the infamous " Taiping Four " gorillas from South Africa

to their homeland Cameroon.

 

It looks like the planned departure on April 10 will be postponed as

Malaysian authorities have yet to issue the go-ahead to their South

African counterparts, after the first relocation plan was called off

last December.

 

That plan was aborted at the eleventh hour after Malaysia sought an

assurance from the South African government that it would not be

billed for expenses incurred at the Pretoria Zoo, where the primates

had been held since April 2004.

 

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is financing the

return of the African apes. Its communications manager Christina

Pretorius expressed dismay over the Malaysian Government's failure to

facilitate a smooth repatriation.

 

The 'Taiping Four' gorillas in an indoor enclosure at the National

Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria in April 2005. The

gorillas were illegally captured and sent to the Taiping Zoo in

Malaysia in 2002. They were transferred to the Pretoria Zoo in April

2004. — Picture courtesy of IFAW

" Way back in December, South Africa had reassured Malaysia that it

would not demand compensation for housing the gorillas. I understand

that the Malaysian Cabinet's approval is needed (for the

repatriation), but I don't understand why it needs to take six

months, " Pretorius said, adding that this requirement was noted as

early as last June.

 

In July 2006, Malaysia had informed South Africa that it would

transfer the animals back to their country of origin, as requested by

Cameroon, after a protracted campaign by wildlife NGOs.

 

The NGOs had condemned the transfer from Taiping to Pretoria, for fear

it would send wrong signals to wildlife traffickers who acquire highly

endangered species for zoos.

 

The gorilla is one of the four great apes prohibited from

international trade under the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species (Cites).

 

The Taiping Four were brought to Malaysia in early 2002 using false

documentation, which claimed that they were captive-bred specimens,

not wild ones, to circumvent the ban.

 

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was taking the next

step to formalise the relocation, said its forestry division

undersecretary Aziyah Mohamed.

 

" We will send a note to the Cabinet to get the endorsement, " she

added, but declined to comment further on the delay.