FWD: Law: Zoo knew baby gorillas were illegal

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This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling.

 

Comment from sender:

for the special attention of every animal groups and NGOs

 

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

URL:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/7/9/nation/5804209 & sec=nation

 

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Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Law: Zoo knew baby gorillas were illegal

BY HILARY CHIEW

 

PUTRAJAYA: Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Law Hieng

Ding is convinced that Taiping Zoo knew that the four baby gorillas it obtained

from Nigeria were illegally sourced.

 

Saying that the controversy had tarnished the country's image as a member of

the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cities), Law said

investigations showed that “some parties had deliberately misled” him into

signing the import permit for the animals.

 

“This means I could have been cheated,” said a visibly upset Law. “ I have

asked Taiping Zoo to provide a full report on its transaction with Nigeria.

 

“We want to know who is the culprit. Certainly not us (at the ministry level).

We acted responsibly,” he said.

 

Preliminary investigations, said Law, revealed that Taiping Zoo was aware that

the animals were illegally sourced and not obtained from a captive breeding

centre as claimed.

 

He said the zoo also knew that the export permit issued by the Nigerian

authorities had been forged.

 

Gorillas are one of the four endangered great apes listed under Appendix One of

Cites which prohibit any trade of the species caught from the wild.

 

On the future of the primates that are still housed in Taiping Zoo, he said the

Cabinet had approved the decision to send the four baby gorillas to the National

Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria under a bilateral technical

co-operation programme.

 

He said the decision was reached after consultation with the World Association

of Zoos and Aquariums and the Cites secretariat.

 

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