IPPL campaigns against horrific trade in gorillas

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The Guardian, Nigeria

Nigerian firm, Malaysian zoo named in illegal gorilla trade

By Chinedu Uwaegbulam

 

CONSERVATIONISTS have fingered a Nigerian firm and a zoo in Malaysia for the

trade in four young gorillas, which is part of a burgeoning illegal trade in

endangered species.

 

International Primate Protection League (http://www.IPPL.org), in a personal

contact with The Guardian had implicated Messrs. Odukoya & Associates for

transactions in disposal of primates. A physical address of the company has

not been determined.

 

In a letter to the director, Zoological Garden, Mr. Jubreel Odukoya is

offering:

 

.. 4 heads of baby gorillas (2 male and 2 females) - $1.4 million;

.. 4 heads of baby chimps (2 males and 2 females) - $200,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Mandrills (Sphinx baboon) - $500,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Red Duikers - $100,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Patas Monkey - $50,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Drills baboons - $80,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Jackal - $80,000;

.. 4 heads of baby Antelope - $100,000;

.. 2 heads of Carakat - $80,000; and

.. 2 heads of baby lions - $300,000.

 

The firm disclosed in the letter that the " animals are to be disposed to any

interested zoo with all applicable (CITES) laws. You are free to negotiate

the prices if your zoo is interested in any mentioned animals or any

unmentioned ones could also be requested for.

 

" Our offer is based on the highest bidder and first come first serve basis. "

But it was not clear last week if the four gorillas were the same animals as

those sent to Taiping Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

The gorillas were alleged to have been shipped from Nigeria through South

African Airways via Johannesburg, South Africa. This could not be confirmed.

 

But, Dr. Kevin Lazarus, director Taiping Zoo said " the gorillas at Taiping

Zoo are from a zoo in Nigeria with which we have an exchange programme and

as part of that exchange programme, we will be sending them some animals

also in Appendix 1 of CITES. Also we are helping them in designing

enclosures for these animals at their zoo and generally helping them improve

the zoo.

 

" We also plan to have more co-operation with them and aid in some

conservation programmes in the future. In the near future, we will help with

the development of their zoo. We have built a fairly large exhibit for the

gorillas. It consists of an exhibit area about 180x140 which has lots of

trees, shrubs.

 

" Viewing is from two glass fronted windows, so there is no direct contact

with the public. There are also 11 rooms off exhibit for the gorillas'

usage. We feel that there should be a good stable group of gorillas in South

East Asia as there is none at the moment. It will help in captive breeding

of these animals. It will also be good for education as well as to create

awareness about the need for conservation, the realities of bush meat

trade, " he added.

 

IPPL finds this explanation unsatisfactory. " There is no need for Asian zoos

to procure and breed gorillas. Unfortunately five of the six gorillas sent

by European zoos to Singapore Zoo died due to infection by a ground pathogen

prevalent in Southeast Asia. The surviving gorillas were returned to Europe

and treated after IPPL contacted Rotterdam Zoo, which had supplied the

second group of gorillas. IPPL also believes that the Malaysian animals

shipped to Nigeria may die.

 

" It is unclear to IPPL how Tiaping Zoo can provide education about the

bush-meat trade by buying gorillas whose mothers were probably eaten. The

gorillas were certainly wild-caught, as there are no gorilla breeding

colonies in Africa. This means that the gorillas' mothers were shot to bring

them to captivity. No live mother gorilla would ever hand over her baby to a

human, so she and other protective adults were certainly eliminated. "

 

The group is investigating a report that Nigeria's authorities issued export

permits based on false claims of captive birth at a zoo that only opened in

Abuja in September 2001, as a recent visitor reported that the zoo in

question had two monkeys and no gorillas.

 

A primatologist Dr. John Oates has informed IPPL that the entire population

of Cross River gorillas numbered around 200-250 and that the presence of

observers in the small area of Nigeria inhabited by gorillas would make it

almost impossible to kill or captive even one.

 

Dr. Shirly McGreal, chairperson of IPPL stressed that the gorillas should be

returned to Nigeria; that their DNA should be tested; and that if they

belong to the Nigerian/Western Cameroon gorilla sub-species, they should be

housed at either Pandrillus or Limbe and that, if they are Cameroonians they

should be sent to Limbe.

 

" IPPL has DNA experts who would like to work on this but the Malaysian Zoo

director is putting the gorillas on exhibit. They were scheduled to go

outdoors on May 1, but the Malaysian government is looking into the

situation, " Dr. McGreal said.

 

According to her, " the Malaysian government has suspended the permit to

import two more gorillas. We heard from a Malaysian national that the

Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia might have asked the government of

Malaysian for information about the gorillas. "

 

Gorillas are listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade

in Endangered Species (CITES). Under CITES all commercial trade in Appendix

1 species is banned. In the rare cases of export of Appendix 1 species for

non-commercial purpose, the exporting nation is required to attest that

export of the animals is not detrimental to the survival of their species

and that the animals to be exported were legally acquired.

 

The group stated that " there is no evidence that Mr. Jubreel B. Odukoya

supplied the Taiping Zoo with gorillas. However, an IPPL volunteer found a

listing of a Mr. Abduljubreel B. Odukoya on a website. His company named

" Nigerian Professional Services " is listed, located in Penang, a city 100

miles from Tiaping. The firm states that its purpose is to bring Nigerian

professionals for professional employment in Malaysia. "

 

The e-mail address listed on the site is out of order, all attempts to

locate the company failed. A telephone number: 001-843-871-7988 is also

written in long hand after a note on his purported letter to the director of

Zoological Garden. The letter was marked urgent.

 

Ms Khairiah Shariff, head of CITES unit, under the Department of Wildlife

and National Parks, CITES Management Authority of Malaysia confirmed to IPPL

that the department issued import permits for the importation of gorillas

for zoo purposes last year.

 

" In fact, the gorillas are already in Taiping Zoo. We are now very concerned

by what have been disclosed by you about the source of the gorillas. We will

investigate further and will take the necessary action against the

importer, " Ms Shariff said.

 

Last year IPPL took up a campaign against the Egypt over the drowning of an

infant gorilla and a chimpanzee in chemical at Cairo International Airport.

 

The two animals were smuggled from Nigeria by a lady who declared that the

primates were her pets, and she did not possess the necessary permits for

transporting such endangered species internationally.