Fw: primfocus: More on Nigerian gorillas

[Guest guest]

Paul Raad (which is how I first heard/saw his name spelled several years

ago) has been known about for a while ... At one point he had five " pet "

gorillas he claimed he rescued from the bushmeat trade ....Last I heard, 3

of those had died and the 2 remaining are getting too big and he was looking

for other " homes " for them ....

 

Jane Dewar

 

-

" Shirley McGreal " <spm

<primfocus

Monday, December 16, 2002 9:46 AM

primfocus: More on Nigerian gorillas

 

 

> http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=12/16/02 & Cat=7 & Num=1

>

> Lebanese Suspected of Smuggling Endangered Species Out of Nigeria

>

> KANO, Nigeria -- Nigerian security agents in Nigeria's northern city of

> Kano on Friday raided a Lebanese-owned warehouse used in rearing

endangered

> species for illegal smuggling to Europe and Asia.

>

> Agents of the State Security Service (SSS) swooped on the warehouse owned

> by Paul Rad and searched it, after which they found two apes of the

gorilla

> species and a rare breed of tortoise, residents said.

>

> Junior Environment Minister, Ime Okopido, who ordered the search, told

> reporters that security reports showed that Rad has been involved in

> illegal smuggling of these endangered species for 10 years, using Kano

> International Airport.

>

> Mostly gorillas and snakes are reared in the warehouse and exported to

> Europe and Asia where a gorilla could fetch up to 400,000 dollars (euros),

> the minister said.

>

> He said that the fact that the type of gorillas found in the warehouse are

> lowland gorillas common in neighboring Cameroon, indicated that they were

> smuggled from that country, DPA reported.

>

> According to the minister, Rad has been in Europe for a week to negotiate

> with buyers while a Lebanese, whose name was simply given as Lizza, has

> gone to Cameroon for more supplies of the gorillas.

>

> " From our information, there were 10 gorillas in the warehouse.

>

> The number has dropped to two because most of them have been sold while a

> few others have died of nematosis, a skin disease associated with rashes, "

> he stated.

>

> More than 300 pythons were smuggled out of Nigeria through the airport

> early this year, he said, alleging that Rad may have been connected with

> the smuggling.

>

> The suspected Lebanese smuggler is expected to return to the country this

> weekend, the minister stated, smuggling of animals is officially illegal

in

> Nigeria.

>

>

>

>