Indonesian wildlife trade swelling in proportion

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Trade of elephant tusks and tiger bodies rampant in some Indonesian cities:

survey

 

Xinhua

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/14/content_11881086.htm

2009-08-14 11:31:43

 

 

JAKARTA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The trade on elephant tusks and tiger is

apparently concerning in Indonesia with free trading on parts and the

mummified bodies of the endangered species were rampant in major cities in

Sumatra and Java, the Antara news agency reported here on Friday.

 

According to the result of a survey conducted by Pro Fauna, a wildlife

non-government agency, the trade on elephant tusks and tiger bodies were

found in 10 cities or 48 percent of a total 21 cities in Java and Sumatra

surveyed by the agency from July to October last year.

 

Meanwhile, particularly for the trades of elephant tusks were found in five

cities or 24 percent of those cities.

 

" The elephant tusks were sold intact and some were already modified to

cigarette pipes and souvenirs. The tiger bodies were sold in parts from the

skin, claws and the mummified bodies, " Rosek Nursahid, the agency head said.

 

According to Rosek, the elephant tusks were averagely sold at a price of 14

million rupiah per kilogram, meanwhile for the already modified ones were

sold at a range of 150,000 to 2.5 million rupiah (about 15 to 251 U.S.

dollars).

 

Tiger parts were sold at a range of 400,000 to 1.1 million rupiah (around 40

to 110 dollars) in those cities, he added.

 

Rosek said that those parts of the endangered animals were mostly sold at

art shops, gems and jewelry shops and traditional medicine stores. The tiger

parts were commonly sold in Lampung and West Sumatra cities.

 

The head of the agency funded by the London-based International Fund for

Animal Welfare (IFAW) said that he had reported the findings to Indonesian

Forestry ministry in April this year.

 

The report was followed by a raid on places that known to have been the

trading places of parts of endangered species in the capital city of Jakarta

on August 9 by the joint task force involving forestry police and Jakarta

chapter police, he said.