Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 FYI. j. - " Jennifer Feuerstein " <gr8ape <primfocus Thursday, July 31, 2003 1:07 AM primfocus: Re: Taiping 4 > I find the shifting of responsibility for the decision to send the Taiping 4 > to Pretoria very interesting. WAZA said they did not decide, only > recommended Pretoria. OK, so who made the decision? Dave Morgan of African > AZA says that CITES decided on Pretoria. CITES says they don't decide, but > the gov't of Malaysia does. It's clear finally that Malaysia has the final > say, and I think they should explain their decision in the face of the facts > that have come out about Pretoria's lack of success with gorillas. Has > there been any response from Malaysia explaining their decision--namely why > a zoo with a poor record of gorilla survival was chosen over a sanctuary > with an excellent record of gorilla care and survival? > > Also, if the gorillas are to act as ambassadors " to help graphically > illustrate the risks posed to endangered species by illegal trade in > wildlife and to encourage governments, relevant organizations and the public > to support the conservation of wildlife " as the CITES Secretariat states, > wouldn't it make a lot more sense to send them to their home country of > Cameroon? South Africans don't have any free-living gorillas to kill. > There's a lot more at stake in Cameroon, where gorillas still live free and > unfortunately are being killed for their meat and their babies. Limbe can > keep the gorillas alive and safe, and at the same time teach the people of > Cameroon how lucky they are to share their country with gorillas, that they > should be treasured, respected, and not killed and eaten. > > I hope that there are South African animal protection groups working to > protest The National Zoo's interest in the Taiping 4. The gorillas belong > in Cameroon. > > --Jen > > > > > > > > Source: Mail & Guardian Online Tuesday, July 29, > > > 2003 [http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=17893] > > > > > > http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=17893 > > > > > > GORILLAS IN OUR MIDST > > > > > > Fiona Macleod > > > 28 July 2003 16:09 > > > > > > Four highly endangered baby gorillas that were illegally smuggled > >through > > > South Africa en route from Nigeria to Malaysia are due to be returned to > > > the Pretoria zoo to live out the rest of their lives. > > > > > > The move has sparked an international furore about whether it would be > >more > > > appropriate for the gorillas, known as the Taiping Four, to go to a zoo > >or > > > a sanctuary in their home range. > > > > > > The Mail & Guardian reported in June last year that the four were > >smuggled > > > via Johannesburg airport without any questions being raised by local > > > authorities, despite the permits being forged and the mysterious > > > disappearance of a fifth gorilla that was supposed to be part of the > >group. > > > > > > The four are western lowland gorillas, a species that is particularly > > > endangered there are about 200 to 250 left in the world. They were > >snatched > > > from their families, who were probably killed in the process, and > >smuggled > > > from the bush in Central Africa to a zoo in Nigeria. > > > > > > The Nigerian zoo then sold the gorillas to the Taiping zoo in Malaysia, > >on > > > the pretext that they came from a captive-breeding facility in Nigeria. > > > > > > Alerted to the scam by international primatologists and the ensuing > >media > > > reports, Malaysian authorities confiscated the four from Taiping zoo. > > > Malaysian Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding said he had been tricked > >into > > > signing an import permit for the primates. > > > > > > The Nigerian government recently set up a panel of inquiry to > >investigate > > > the deal and expressed concern about the bad image of the country > >created > > > by illicit trade in endangered species. > > > > > > Willie Labuschagne, director of the National Zoological Gardens in > > > Pretoria, says he is not sure when the gorillas will arrive, though he > >has > > > staff on standby and the gorilla enclosure is ready. > > > > > > He denies signing a bilateral technical cooperation programme with > >Malaysia, > > > according to which future offspring of the Taiping Four would be sent > >back > > > to Malaysia. > > > > > > Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has added her voice to calls for the > > > gorillas to be sent to a gorilla sanctuary in Central Africa, where they > > > will have a chance to mingle with other gorillas and live in semi-wild > > > conditions. The Taiping Four are estimated to be between two and five > >years > > > old; gorillas can live to 30 or 40. > > > > > > The critics say allowing South Africa and Malaysia to keep the gorillas, > > > which have a huge commercial value, after the countries flouted the > > > Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) would > >set > > > an undesirable precedent. > > > > > > Gorillas are fully protected under Cites. That four young gorillas > > > certainly brought into captivity by the slaughter of their mothers could > >be > > > shipped internationally in 2002, nearly three decades after Cites came > >into > > > effect, is a tragedy,says Shirley McGreal, chairperson of the United > > > States-based International Primate Protection League. > > > > > > It is very important that any solution for these four individual animals > >be > > > engineered not only to protect the well-being of these animals, but to > > > attempt to prevent recurrence of similar incidents. > > > > > > She says the Pretoria zoo does not have a good record of fostering > >gorillas, > > > three of the four gorillas it acquired in the 1970s were dead by the end > >of > > > the 1990s and no gorilla births have yet been recorded [i did not know > > > about the babies when the story was being written]. > > > > > > Dave Morgan, head of the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria, says > >the > > > Pretoria zoo was chosen as the end destination by Cites headquarters in > > > Switzerland because of its sound financial standing. > > > > > > Gorillas are very expensive to keep and the Taiping Four will need > >lifelong > > > care. The Pretoria zoo has the budget, including subsidies from the > > > government, Morgan says. > > > > > > Source: Mail & Guardian Online Tuesday, July 29, > > > 2003 [http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=17893] > > > > > _______________ > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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