(MY) smuggled orang utans

[Guest guest]

*New Straits Times* <http://www.nst.com.my/> »

*Local*<http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Section/indexb_html?mysec=Nationa\

l>

 

Smuggled orang utans found

Jason Gerald <news

 

*KUALA LUMPUR, 8 October 2005*

------------------------------

*Two animal parks in Peninsular Malaysia have been found to possess

Sumatran orang utans smuggled from Indonesia, and have broken wildlife

protection laws.*

 

<http://www.nst.com.my/Misc/Kiosk/eng2.htm> DNA tests showed the seven orang

utans taken from two locations are of the " critically endangered " Sumatran

sub-species, said the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).

 

Another 46 captive orang utans are of the Bornean species. Whether these

were legally procured remains unclear: Trade and possession of these animals

are strictly regulated under international and local laws.

 

Earlier this year, complaints that Sumatran orang utans were being forced to

perform for park visitors forced Perhilitan to investigate how the primates

were obtained.

 

" Perhilitan felt obliged to handle the complaints transparently and

professionally. That's why it was decided to conduct DNA tests on captive

orang utans in Peninsular Malaysia, " said law and enforcement director

Misliah Mohamed Basir.

 

It tested the DNA of 58 orang utans known to be held in captivity in seven

zoos and private parks in Peninsular Malaysia.

 

These are the Air Kroh Zoo and the A Famosa Resort in Malacca, Zoo Negara in

Kuala Lumpur, the Taiping Zoo and Bukit Merah Laketown Resort in Perak and

TC Arapaima and Johor Zoo in Johor. The last of the results were received on

Sept 12.

 

Five are Sumatran orang utans that were legally procured before 1975, when

international wildlife protection laws came into force, she said.

 

The seven smuggled Sumatran orang utans were seized when Perhilitan

discovered the owners had no documents, Misliah said in a statement.

 

" We are taking action, including sending them back to Indonesia, " she said.

 

Misliah said the matter would be referred to Perhilitan's legal department

for the next course of action. The seized orang utans are being kept at the

Malacca Zoo.

 

This is the first time in the country DNA testing was used to determine

wildlife species.

 

" This case is the first of its kind and any action taken would be a landmark

case, " she said.

 

She said all the orang utans have been implanted with microchips for

monitoring by the department in the future.

 

Welcoming Perhilitan's move, wildlife monitoring network Traffic urged the

department to investigate the origin of the Bornean orang utans.

 

Traffic regional officer Chris R. Shepherd said the department must ensure

they were not also smuggled from Kalimantan.