Fidelis E. Satriastanti Jakarta Globe 15 Mar 11;
The Center for Orangutan Protection called on the government on Monday to repatriate 12 primates smuggled into Thailand a few years ago, citing concerns about their living conditions.
Hardi Baktiantoro, principal of the COP, said he was concerned about reports that the orangutans, smuggled out of Kalimantan between 2008 and 2009, were set to be moved to a zoo that he claimed had a questionable animal welfare record.
“We have information that they will be moved to the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo [near Bangkok], which has a bad reputation for [animal] cruelty and poor quality in terms of legal and welfare issues,” he said.
“This is still only a plan, but we need to stop it before it happens.”
The orangutans are currently being held in the Thai government’s Khao Phra rehabilitation center, about 100 kilometers from Bangkok. They have lived there since 11 of them were seized from a private zoo in Phuket and one from the Nong Nooch botanical gardens in Pattaya.
Previously, a batch of 48 orangutans were repatriated to Indonesia from Thailand after being rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, but Hardi has accused the government of failing to push for the return of the current 12.
“This isn’t about money but about lack of intent from the Indonesian government,” he said.
“There are plenty of environmental groups that care about this issue, so just divide [the costs] among them. I believe most nongovernmental organizations would gladly do that. It’s just a matter of will.”
He added it would cost roughly $80,000 to bring the animals back from Thailand.
However, Darori, the Forestry Ministry’s director general of forest protection and natural conservation, denied there was any plan to move the orangutans to Samutprakarn.
He also said the real issue at hand was not about bringing the apes back, but about the risks they faced once placed in rehabilitation centers.
“We still have at least 1,000 orangutans in a center waiting to be released back into the wild,” he said.
“From our observations the last time we were there, the center’s orangutans had been exposed to contagious diseases.”
He said this had raised concerns among officials that the repatriated apes would be prone to the same diseases if they placed in the rehabilitation center.
“It’s easy to get them back — we can just charter a plane and fly them back, but we’re more concerned about their future,” Darori said.
