Zoo in a spot over animal exchange plan with Thais

[Guest guest]

Dear Colleagues,

Many thanks to all who spoke out with regards to the Assam-Thai zoo

animal exchange.

A local reporter has brought out this report attached below in The

Times of India newspaper. The e-edition was not available so I have

typed the whole report.

Hope to hear more fom you all on this particular issue.

Thanks.

Azam

 

 

Zoo in a spot over animal exchange plan with Thais

 

Times News Network (The Times of India, Guwahati) 26 Aug, 2005

 

Guwahati: Assam forest officials are in a fix over an international

animal exchange plan. They seem to have inadvertently set foot into

illegal trade in wildlife by signing an agreement with the Thailand

Zoological Organisation to send a male rhino from the zoo here in

exchange for three orangutans and an equal number of chimpanzees from

the South-East Asian country.

 

Trading in all the three animals is prohibited by the convention on

International Trade in Endangered species (CITES) and under the

Wildlife Protection Act in India. Assamchief conservator of forest

(wildlife) M.C. Malakar said that the state forest department is now

awaiting approval of the exchange plan by the Central Zoo Authority

(CZA) and the CITES. The Thai authorities have also agreed to give a

female clouded leopard, three binturongs (bearcat), a pig-tailed

macaque and two stumped macaques.

 

However, the wildlife laws of the country do not allow trade in

rhino, which is a Schedule I animal under the 1972 Wildlife

Protection Act. This was endorsed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

himself at the last meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.

 

Member of the board and CZA Nanditha Krishna said, during the last

meeting, the PM categorically assured to stop any trade in animals

listed under Schedule I. " They (Guwahati Zoo), legally cannot send

the rhino as a gift or even trade in it, " she said from Chennai.

 

Besides, there are numerous reports or orangutans being smuggled into

Thailand from Indonesia. Experts fear that the orangutans proposed

to be sent to Guwahati could belong to this lot.

 

" The legal aspects will definitely be looked into because our

exchange plan has to be approved by CZA and CITES, " Malakar said.

 

Nanditha said South East Asia is an open market for wildlife

smugglers. " CITES does not permit trade in protected animals. Since

we do not have orangutans here, it is difficult to know about the

laws in Thailand for protection of these primates. "

 

Orangutans are an endangered species of Indonesia`s Kalimantan and

Sumatra Islands. According to reports, Thailand allegedly has 200

illegal orangutans scattered throughout the country. DNA testing on

50 orangutans at the Safari World in Thailand has revealed that some

of them were smuggled into the country, reports said.

 

Report by: Mr Prabin Kalita, Correspondent, The Times of India,

Guwahati. Assam.

Email: prabin.kalita, prabinkalita