FULL STORY

FULL STORY of the SAFARI WORLD ORANGUTANS:

Internationally, animal welfare and conservation organizations strongly urge the Thailand Government to stop the illegal custody of over one hundred Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) from Indonesia in Safari World, Bangkok and other Zoos, Farms and Parks in Thailand for the following reasons: Orangutans are endemic to Sumatra and Borneo.

These Great Apes are critically endangered. The numbers of wild orangutans have dramatically reduced by up to 50% over the last 20 years. If we don’t protect the orangutan and its habitat now, within ten years there may be no more orangutans in the wild.

Although these great apes are being protected worldwide by law they are still being captured from the wild and traded for commercial purposes. The biggest case of illegal orangutan smuggling is the confiscation of over one hundred orangutans in Thailand (November 2003).

The Orangutans inside the zoo are being used for entertainment shows: boxing performances. As Orangutans are listed on Appendix 1 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), these Apes should not be used for any commercial purpose, but belong in their habitat of origin, in this case the rain forests of Borneo, Indonesia. CITES states that confiscated wildlife should be returned to the country and habitat of origin.

Therefore, the orangutans in Thailand should have been returned to Indonesia straight after their originality had been established. But today, one and a half year later, the Orangutans are still being kept under unclear conditions. It is now believed that some of the orangutans have been moved to other locations or have since died. Safari World owner Pin Kewkacha could face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty of smuggling orangutans into the country.

Organizations worldwide are now joining forces to demand the return to Indonesia of these highly endangered apes immediately. Organizations worldwide demand the return of the Orangutans at the embassies of Thailand.

Protests are held worldwide to put pressure on both the government of Thailand and the CITES secretariat in Swiss to take a stand for these orangutans and against the illegal animal trade in general.

Safari World was raided in November 2003 by Forestry Police and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants (DNP) and Safari World was found guilty on suspicion of holding illegally obtained wildlife.

During this raid, 115 Orangutans were found at Safari World Park, Bangkok: only 46 were registered with the authorities: 115 Orangutans in total 7 adult Males, 7 adult Females 101 Babies between 1 and 4 years old The sex ratio of the babies 70% Female 30% Male.

However, Safari World still declared that all animals were captive born at their premises, a matter, which is impossible due to the great number of very young individuals and the small amount of adults. The age distribution showed that they could impossibly have been bred inside Safari World.

DNA tests showed that at least 67 orangutans could not have been captive born. All the Orangutans in the Safari World show were clearly smuggled from the wild.

Both the Indonesian Director-General of the Indonesian Forest Protection and the Minister of Forestry has requested the return of those illegal-suspected Orangutans to Indonesia.

In Indonesia, specialized rehabilitation centers for Orangutans are ready to take them in and provide them the best care and a potential return to the wild where they originally were taken from.

The confiscation, repatriation and release back to the wild of these great apes is very important to show that illegal trade in wildlife is no longer accepted and taken seriously.

Thailand signed CITES in 1983 and as a signatory have very specific rules and regulations as to the “disposal” of illegal wildlife. By refusing to return the Orangutans to Indonesia, Thailand breaks the international agreement.

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