(MY) smuggled orangutans in royal cage

[Guest guest]

*Orangutan still in Johor 'royal' cage - Malaysiakini * *Soon Li Tsin* Jun

28, 06 11:39am

 

A Sumatran orangutan being kept by Johor Zoo is unlikely to be repatriated

to Indonesia unless it is replaced with another of any species, so as not to

'upset' the royal family.

 

The state zoo is under the jurisdiction of the palace, according to the

assistant secretary for local government, who gave his name as Abdul Azim.

 

" We only have one orangutan. If the Sultan finds out that we have (to send

it back) to Sumatra, he will get very angry, " he said when contacted

yesterday.

 

He was asked to comment on a press release from the UK-based Nature Alert

Limited that claimed Malaysia is continuing to resist attempts to repatriate

seven Sumatran orangutan, despite their protected status.

 

Responding, Abdul Azim said NGOs and international organisations " don't

understand our situation " .

 

" We don't have the power to fight the Sultan. We still have to do our work, "

he said.

 

The orangutan is the only one left of a batch of seven traced last year in

Johor. Six were *repatriated <http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/44690>* early

this year, following pressure on the Wildlife and National Parks Department

(Perhilitan).

 

*DNA prints <http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/37502>* had confirmed that

they were *Pongo pygmaeus abelii*, described as a critically endangered

species in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (Cites), 1973. Malaysia is a signatory to the treaty.

 

*Perhilitan 'thwarted'*

 

Perhilitan enforcement head Misliah Mohamed Basir, when contacted, claimed

that the Johor Zoo has thwarted the department's efforts to date to

repatriate the animal and that it was still awaiting clearance.

 

" You know how the Johor government works. Maybe if you (the media) pressure

them enough, they will release the orangutan to us, so that we can hand it

back to Sumatra, " she said.

 

Asked to comment, Abdul Azim said: " The state government does not agree with

Perhilitan's proposal to return the orangutan to Sumatra, or to conduct DNA

tests on it.

 

" However, we are negotiating with Perhilitan to give us another orangutan of

any species if they want to send this one back. The world can keep

criticising Johor. Right now, the answer is still no. "

 

International NGOs have recently targeted Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia

for violations of Cites, following reports that orangutan in captivity were

being used as part of entertainment shows.

 

Cites bars trade in protected species of animals, and offenders are required

to return such animals to the countries of origin.

 

A 'Born to be Wild' global campaign is currently underway to name and shame

governments and, in more serious circumstances, to sanction them for breach

of Cites provisions.

 

According to United Kingdom-based Nature Alert, tens of thousands of

postcards depicting images of orangutan abuse are being sent to the

Malaysian ambassador and the director of Malaysia Tourism in London.