FWD: Exco man: Zoo bought gorillas in good faith

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This article is from thestar.com.my

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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/11/7/nation/tpibuy & sec=nation

 

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Thursday, November 07, 2002

Exco man: Zoo bought gorillas in good faith

 

 

TAIPING: The Taiping Municipal Council, which manages the Taiping Zoo, has not

committed any wrong in acquiring the four baby go-rillas from Nigeria, said

state Science, Environment, Health and Technology Committee chairman Datuk Ho

Cheng Wang.

 

He said the council was a bona fide purchaser and the transaction was done in

good faith.

 

“Nigeria and Malaysia are Commonwealth countries which practise the Common Law

and everyone, including non-governmental organisations, should respect this,”

said Ho.

 

He was commenting on calls by some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to

prosecute those responsible for bringing in the baby gorillas and to return the

animals to a suitable facility which had the necessary expertise to look after

them.

 

The issue drew criticisms from NGOs which said that the acquisition of the

animals in January contravened the Convention of International Trade in

Endangered Species of which Malaysia was a signatory.

 

Ho said had the council known that the gorillas were illegally sent here, it

would not have approved it.

 

“We don’t know how or what the other party (Nigeria) did to enable the animals

to be brought here but we bought the animals in good faith,” said Ho.

 

The council, he added, had acquired the necessary approvals from the relevant

authorities here, including the Wildlife and National Parks Department before

the transaction was finalised.

 

Ho said he could not understand why some NGOs were against Taiping Zoo’s move

to have the animals here.

 

“We plan to breed them, not be cruel to them,” he said, adding that he had full

confidence the zoo’s staff could look after the animals, based on their past

success in breeding other animals.

 

Since their arrival, the baby gorillas had been under quarantine to enable them

to adjust to the zoo’s environment and a special enclosure, covered with lush

vegetation, has also been provided for them.

 

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