Letter to Malaysiakini re gorillas

[Guest guest]

http://www.malaysiakini.com

 

Was Taiping Zoo aware of gorillasillegal source?

 

Linda J Howard, Allied Effort to Save Other Primates

5:02pm Thu Feb 5th, 2004

 

Thank you for publishing Andrew Ongs coverage of the case known as The

Taiping Four(Cameroon wants gorillas back where they belong).

 

This case has great bearing in the world of animal welfare and wildlife

conservation because gorillas and all other non-human primates are

collectively the most imperiled group of mammals on our planet. Capture for

export and poaching have an enormous impact on the dwindling numbers of

primate species.

 

Gorilla poachers concentrate on shooting gorilla mothers, and for every

baby successfully captured, many more babies, their mothers and other

members of the gorilla troop who attempt to protect the babies are killed.

If this appalling trade is not stopped, the outlook for the future survival

of gorillas and other primate species is dismal.

 

I have been following the The Taiping Fourcase since the International

Primate Protection League obtained a copy of the Nigerian export permit

issued to the Ibadan Zoo in Nov 2001, which falsely described the gorillas

as having been captive-born.

 

Given Pretoria Zoos abysmal record with gorillas, I share the concern of

many wildlife experts about the fate of these four gorillas and agree with

the widely-held opinion that they should not be sent to Pretoria Zoo, nor

any other zoo in South Africa. Even if Pretoria Zoo had an impeccable

record with captive gorillas, many officials and businesses in South Africa

(including the national airline) played an essential role in the sordid

smuggling of these four gorillas.

 

As such, an opportunity should not be allowed for it to be perceived that

South Africa is being rewarded, nor should it be made to appear that a

market for gorillas exists.

 

On the topic of creating a market for gorillas, it is indisputable that

Taiping Zoo coveted gorillas and wished to acquire them. Taiping Zoo had

been advertising Gorillas Wantedon the Southeast Asian Zoos Associations

website as early as Feb 2001 with its director Kevin Lazarus listed as the

contact person.

 

One must ask: To what length was the Taiping Zoo willing to go to obtain

the gorillas? There is much evidence that there are Malaysian parties who

were knowledgeable about and culpable for the illegal importation of these

gorillas and that prosecution of Taiping Zoo officials is warranted.

 

According to one South African news article, four officials from Malaysia

visited Ibadan Zoo in 2001 to discuss their desire to acquire gorillas. It

is unclear if Taiping Zoo director Kevin Lazarus was one of the visitors.

 

However, the officials who did visit must have realized that Ibadan Zoo was

incapable of having 'captive-born' gorillas, since the zoo had one lone

gorilla. Was this not reported to Kevin Lazarus (if indeed he did not visit

himself)?

 

Additionally, in July 2003, Science, Technology and Environment Minister

Law Hieng Ding was reported as having admitted that officials of Taiping

Zoo knew that the baby gorillas were illegally sourced.

 

I hope malaysiakini will follow the investigation and report if and when

there is a prosecution of guilty parties.

 

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