(TH) 11 smuggled orang-utans confiscated in Phuket, Thailand

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11 smuggled orang-utans confiscated in Phuket, Thailand

 

 

February 5, 2008 - Eleven orang-utans that were smuggled in to Thailand over

a period of several months have been found and confiscated at a crocodile

farm in the Southern province of Phuket, Thailand. The orang-utans, some of

them used as photo-props with tourists, were found by an investigation team

of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) in December 2008 and

disappeared for a while hours before the Department of National parks (DNP)

raided the farm in late January, after a probable tip-off. The 11

orang-utans were finally found on February 4th 2009 on another visit to the

zoo in small holding enclosures behind the crocodile farm.

 

The WFFT applauds the continuous pressure by the authorities on the zoo to

hand-over the orang-utans as a show of serious enforcement on the

cross-border trade of endangered species such as the orang-utans. Only six

months ago another smuggled Orangutan baby was found at a resort in

Chumporn, that was finally confiscated after demands from the WFFT and the

International Primate Protection League (IPPL) of which its supporters sent

over 500 letters to the Director-General of the DNP, the Forestry Police

commander and other high officials to push for enforcement of CITES

regulations.

 

The WFFT is currently assisting the DNP to look for future housing and care

of the confiscated orang-utans. The confiscated orang-utans are currently at

the Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Breeding Center of the DNP.

 

 

Edwin Wiek and Founder

Wildlife Friends Foundation (Thailand)

 

<BLOCKED::http://www.wfft.org/> www.wfft.org

<BLOCKED::edwin.wiek edwin.wiek

tel (+66) 8-90600906

 

Wildlife Rescue Center - Kao Look Chang

Mobile Wildlife Clinic - South-east Asia

Pileated Gibbon Rehabilitation - Chanthaburi

Thai C.R.R.U. (Cetacean Research and Rescue Unit)