Another gorilla document

[Guest guest]

MALAYSIAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIALS MEET ON 21 OCTOBER 2003 TO DISCUSS

GORILLAS

 

A meeting was held at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks,

Malaysia on 21 October 2003. The subject of the meeting was the

" translocation of the 4 gorillas from Taiping Zoo to National Zoological

Gardens of South Africa. "

 

Among the topics of discussion was " Future collaboration. " This was listed

as 1) Animal Exchange Program, 2) Exchange in Technical Assistance. "

 

Five Malaysians were present. They did NOT include the Minister of the

Environment. The senior official present was Dato' Musa Nordin of

Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks. On the South African

side, the High Commissioner of South Africa and Lucy Mahlungo, Andile

Nconsa and Pretoria zoo director Willie Labuschagne were present.

 

Pretoria Zoo agreed to pay costs of transportation and crates. Both sides

agreed to expedite issuance of CITES permits. The Malaysian Department of

Veterinary Services agreed to take blood samples from the gorillas " for

tests in South Africa. " [There was no mention of DNA testing which was

always a scarlet herring].

 

The parties set a tentative date of 30 November 2003 for the shipment.

Costs were estimated at US $25,763.

 

The South Africans agreed to pay for a Malaysian veterinarian to inspect

the gorillas' planned enclosure at Pretoria Zoo and that two Taiping Zoo

personnel would be flown to South Africa for the gorillas' " transition

period " of two weeks.

 

Publicity would be handled jointly and would " at the very minimum be based

on a joint statement by DWNP (Malaysia's wildlife department) and NZG,

South Africa (Pretoria Zoo). "

 

" Future collaboration " would include " animal exchange program and technical

collaboration. However, the parameters mentioned would be further

elaborated. The collaboration would be at a government-to-government level

with DWNP taking the leading role. "

 

Section J discussed " ownership " of the gorillas. It was stated that,

" Ownership of the gorillas is as per se in the CITES Protocol. " [if anyone

has any idea what this means, please let me know].

 

 

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