Thailand: Baby orangutan found in freezer

[Guest guest]

From the Bangkok Nation.

 

Dozens more animals found in second raid

 

Published on Nov 4, 2003

 

A frozen baby orang-utan was found along with more than 100 other protected

wild animals, both alive and dead, at a suspected illegal wildlife trader's

house in Nonthaburi yesterday.

 

The owner of the house, Thanajak Suthinunt, was not at home when a joint

team of officials from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Varieties

Department and Forest Police Bureau raided the house on the

Bangkok-Nonthaburi road.

 

The live animals, most of which were exotic birds, were found in small and

dirty cages when the team entered the three-story house. Among the bird

species found was an endangered crested wood partridge.

 

The baby orang-utan, which was less than six months old, and five great

Argus pheasants - which are listed as being almost extinct in their natural

habitat in the region - as well as two otters and one small turtle were

found in two cooling containers.

 

Chawann Tunhikorn, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Office,

believes the orang-utan was illegally shipped from Indonesia at the same

time as two that were rescued from an illegal slaughterhouse in Nonthaburi

last Tuesday.

 

Three stuffed baby tigers and one stuffed hog deer were also found in a

small room on the third floor. Forestry officials said the baby tigers

looked as if they had been taken from their mother a few days after they

were born.

 

Yutthasak Sutthinunt, 19, son of the house owner, admitted that his mother

had been arrested for trading in protected wildlife seven years ago. He

declined to say anything about the origin of the animals and corpses seized

yesterday.

 

Forest police commissioner Maj-General Sawaek Pinsinchai said he believed

that Thanajak might belong to the same wildlife trade network as the owner

of the slaughterhouse. And he warned influential figures who might be

involved in the trade to stop.

 

" To those politicians and people in uniform who benefit from the illegal

trade in wildlife at Chatuchak [weekend market] and Minburi, I say you have

only seven days to stop the business. Otherwise, I will report you directly

to the prime minister, " said Sawaek.

 

Sawaek said that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra fully supported his

efforts to wipe out the illegal trade in endangered wildlife in the

country, as well as to cut the cycle of regional trade in which Thailand

played a leading role as a trading centre.

 

Meanwhile in Songkhla, police seized more than 400 jungle myna birds worth

Bt12,000 each, which are believed to have been bought from the Chatuchak

market. Police said they believed that after the market was raided the

traders distributed the animals to the provinces in an attempt to avoid

arrest.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Prapat Panyachatraksa said

yesterday that he would ask the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)

to close the market if the illegal trade in protected wildlife continued.

But, Paisarn Akkrasakul, the deputy director of the market, said the BMA

did not have the authority to close the market since it is operated by the

private sector. However, he said his office would closely monitor shop

owners and discourage the trade in protected species.

 

Pennapa Hongthong, Napanisa Kaewmorakot

 

THE NATION

 

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman

International Primate Protection League

PO Box 766

Summerville, SC 29484, USA

Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

 

" He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt.

He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord

would suffice. "

--Albert Einstein