Written by Sanskriti Shaw
On the night of May 14, Thai police rescued two baby orangutans – one about a year old and the other was just one month old, during an undercover sting operation at a gas station in Bangkok. The two infant orangutans were found in the possession of a Thai man who was trying to illegally sell them. The officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division arrested the suspect during the transaction in the Lat Krabang district. It is believed that the orangutans were smuggled into Thailand from Indonesia, as it is the common root of orangutan trafficking.
“These orangutans are a critically endangered species, removing them from their natural habitat not only threatens their survival but is also a serious crime under Thai law,” said Police Major General Watcharapol Pudrak, who led the operation. The 47 year old suspect, whose name is not yet revealed is charged under Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act and could serve up to four years in prison and heavy fines if convicted. Police are investigating on a larger scale suspecting that more people are involved in this trafficking network.
The orangutans were handed over to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, where they were assessed for injuries and trauma. Currently, they are receiving care at a wildlife rehabilitation center, officials hope to return them to a sanctuary or consort with Indonesian authorities for their potential recovery.
ALSO READ: Watch: Rare snow leopard spotted in Spiti Valley
Experts say that the orangutan infants are usually captured by killing their mothers, they are often sold as exotic pets or trafficked to private zoos, especially in wealthy parts of Asia and the Middle East.
“The illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats facing Southeast Asia’s biodiversity,” said Chaiyaporn Kaewprapan, a spokesperson for the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. “These rescues are important, but we need systemic changes to disrupt the networks that profit from these animals’ suffering.”
Thailand is one of the major key transit points for illegal wildlife trade, despite the efforts from the Government to improve laws and enforcement. As the investigation goes on the authorities are urging the public to report any suspicious activities and avoid supporting this cruel and illegal act of wildlife trafficking.
(Sanskriti Shaw is an intern with The Theorist)
