Saudi Arabia confiscated smuggled orangutan

[Guest guest]

On 23 July 2005, Professor Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada, Secretary General

of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development,

sent the following message by fax to Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman of

IPPL. IPPL and our members had sent protest letters to Saudi Embassy

government offices and embassies worldwide following receipt of a

report of the presence of a baby orangutan and other endangered

wildlife at the Exotique Pet Shop in Riyadh.

 

Dr. McGreal,

First of all I wish to express our appreciation and

gratitude to your kind initiative to alert us to the presence of a

baby orangutan which was on sale at a pet shop in Riyadh.

Since we received your tip the shop was under close

surveillance by our CITES Management Authority staff. In the same

time high level national liaison was initiated to coordinate

effective implementation of CITES and our national Act on Trade of

Endangered Wildlife Species and their products on this case.

On 15 June 2005 the shop was raided and all specimens that

were found in violation of CITES or our national wildlife legislation

were withdrawn from the shop and deposited at our rescue centre.

Further legal action will be taken accordingly.

Currently we are investigating possibilities to send the

baby orangutan to a suitable rehabilitation facility in its natural

range that is willing to receive this endangered animal. Ant

recommendation or advice you may have in this regard will be appreciated.

 

Professor Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada, Secretary General, NCWCD

cc: CITES Secretariat - Geneva

 

 

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

 

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly

making exciting discoveries. ~ AA Milne