(MY) appeal from an NGO

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend of the orangutans,

 

Thanks to the work of a brave investigator in Malaysia in recent months we

have been documenting abuses of orangutans in Malaysian zoos.

 

The results of our investigations are shocking. In many cases, too awful to

show or even explain to you.

 

Several years ago both the zoos mentioned in this email were found by us to

be keeping illegal, wild-caught orangutans from Indonesia. No one was ever

prosecuted but we did get the orangutans returned to Indonesia.

 

Late last month we were informed as a direct result of our investigations

the use of orangutans in circus-like shows was banned with immediate effect.

 

Unfortunately for the authorities, we were able to prove with date-coded

photos their new regulation was being totally ignored, including by Zoo

Melaka – their very own government zoo. Since we exposed this deceit, the

authorities have stopped communicating with us, presumably in the hope we

will go away; we won’t. It is this very same government office that has

recently been condemned by no less than the National Geographic magazine as

being corrupt..........responsible for sending millions of birds and animals

to their death in China etc.

 

*What can you do to help stop the orangutans in these awful zoos and animal

parks from further abuse? PLEASE will you either send the letter

below (remembering

to add your name at the end of it) or one of your own making to the email

addresses below – today? That’s all you need do, it will only take a few

moments, and it will cost you nothing.*

 

*Please remember:*

 

- add your name to the letter.

 

- cut and paste the message to the DG below and the news story below, and send

both.

 

Please send to

rashid<mc1121.mail./mc/compose?to=rashid@wild\

life.gov.my>and

c.c. to

saharudin<mc1121.mail./mc/compose?to=saharudi\

n (AT) wildlife (DOT) gov.my>

Hassan<mc1121.mail./mc/compose?to=Hassan@wild\

life.gov.my>

Misliah<mc1121.mail./mc/compose?to=Misliah@wi\

ldlife.gov.my>

 

If after sending your email you have time, perhaps you could visit this web

site and select some tourism offices to send the same email to.

http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/contact/overseas.asp

 

*If you have friends who are willing to help, please send them this email.*

 

On behalf of the suffering orangutans.

 

Thank you once again.

 

Sean

 

*p.s. Please don’t just read this and do nothing. It will take you only a

minute to send the message to the Director General. We need everyone to write

today, please.*

 

*The following only needs your name adding – even just your first name, and

then sending to the people named above. Please remember not to send my email

above as well!***

 

To:

 

Y. Bhg. Dato' Abd. Rasid Samsudin

Ketua Pengarah/ *Director General*

 

Department of Wildlife and National Parks

 

Dear Dato’ Abd. Rasid Samsudin,

 

As a very concerned conservationist I would be grateful if you would please

explain:

 

- why your government’s own Zoo Melaka continues to use/abuse

orangutans in circus-like shows and contrary to your own department’s

regulations?

 

- why do you permit the A’Famosa Animal Park to ignore your own

department’s instruction banning such shows with immediate effect?

 

- please can you tell me how you personally feel about the above

treatment of orangutans at the A’Famosa Animal Park?

 

- what has happened to all five orangutans mentioned in the article below

and, has the owner of the Taiping Zoo been prosecuted? If not, we would like to

know why; this is not the first time illegal animals have been found at this

zoo.

 

Permitting, indeed approving of such abuse to any species of wild animal, let

alone the orangutan - a species which is a national icon of your country,

brings, nothing but shame and embarrassment on MALAYSIA, as can be seen at

http://naturealert.blogspot.com/

 

I look forward to your reply and personal assurance that such abuse of

orangutans in Malaysian zoos will, with immediate effect, not be tolerated under

any circumstances and any offenders will be punished.

 

I will never give up writing to you and others until I receive your

guarantee orangutans will no longer be used in shows of any kind.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

(Your name)

 

 

 

The Star

June 30, 2009

*Baby orangutans rescued*

By HILARY CHIEW

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Three baby orang utans believed to be part of a smuggled group

of five animals were confiscated from the Taiping Zoo and a private ostrich

breeder in Klang recently by the Department of Wildlife and National Park

(Perhilitan).

 

The raid on the zoo came about after the private ostrich breeder in Klang,

who was keeping one of the five baby orang utans, revealed the matter to

Perhilitan enforcers.

 

It is learnt that Perhilitan is searching for the remaining two babies.

 

Confirming this, Perhilitan’s deputy director-general Misliah Mohamad Basir

said the zoo was raided after a tip-off.

 

“All orang utans at the zoo are microchipped but these specimens were

without microchips, hence we are able to ascertain that they are of dubious

origin,” she said, adding that they were also without official papers.

 

As the orang utan is a totally protected species under the Wildlife

Protection Act 1972 as well as prohibited from international trade for its

status as an Appendix I species on the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species (Cites), keeping the animal is only possible with a

special permit from Perhilitan.

 

Following the high-profile expose of the smuggling of about a dozen of orang

utans from Indonesia in 2005, Perhilitan took an inventory of all orang

utans held by private and public zoos to show its commitment to stemming out

trafficking in the endangered species.

 

Orang utan, the sole Asian ape, is only found on the islands of Borneo and

Sumatra. Three sub-species of the genus Pongo pygmaeus are distributed in

Borneo while Sumatra is home to Pongo abelii.

 

Misliah also said DNA samples of the two apes were taken to determine their

origins and to facilitate further investigation and prosecution.

 

The confiscated orang utans are being held at Perhilitan’s temporary shelter

in Cheras and are said to be healthy.

 

The Taiping Zoo officials could not be reached for comments.

 

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/30/nation/4207442 & sec=nation