Help Rescue Pitiful Macaques In Udon Thani

[cmjc]

Returning from Laos recently, I passed through Udon Thani bus station (number two).

Not the main bus station, but the one outside town where you catch the bus to Chiang Mai.

The agent in the bus station who sells bus tickets to Chiang Mai has two adult Macaques squashed in a filthy steel cage, too small for them to stand up in. It is about 3 feet by two feet. The male and female have no food or water, and sit in their filth, on glass bottles and rubbish. It is a pitiful sight, and smells awful. The female grooms the male, but their spirits are broken, and dignity gone.

I tried to forget about them as I climbed aboard my bus, but my conscience won't let me.

If we don't help, nobody else will.

The owner is clearly an animal lover, she's about 40, and also has a young Gibbon and baby Macaque together in a cage next to her ticket desk. The adults are a few metres to the left and further back from the road. She also has a friendly German Shepherd dog called 'Vikki' who plays nicely with the baby Macaque. I don't think she neglects the Macaques on purpose, but because they are too big to handle, and she's too busy to care for them properly. I suspect the baby Macaque is from this adult pair.

I only saw them for a minute or two, and didn't get the chance to ask her about them, but my guess is she'd be glad to let you have them for rehabilitation if you approached her tactfully. I'm sure you are used to dealing with such situations.

Please can you help, or put me in touch with somebody else who can help release these poor creatures from their awful captivity. They look like they have been there for years.

I have already emailed (several times) without any response, the following animal welfare groups in Thailand:

warthai.org, tscwa.org, the Maesot Ape rescue, and North Thailand Elephant rescue.

Surely somebody cares?

Once the owner has agreed to release them; there's a big air base in Udon, perhaps they could be flown down to a rehab centre. The Air Force could use it as good public relations.

Perhaps a local representative in Issan could visit them soon?

They are easy to find:

Just go to Udon Thani bus station number two, and ask where to buy a ticket to Chiang Mai. There's only one agent, and the Macaques are behind some junk, just a few feet from her desk, right next to the road side.

Please, let's help these poor creatures.

[Briggsy]

I'm afraid I don't know how to help. Whilst macaques (dependent on species) are commonplace in captivity, gibbons are not. If she is keeping a gibbon without a licence to keep it, she may well be breaking the law. Would the police and/or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment be able to assist perhaps by referring you to an organisation that could step in.

I hope this story has a happy conclusion.

[cmjc]

Would the police and/or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment be able to assist perhaps by referring you to an organisation that could step in.

That would be too heavy-handed, she's clearly an animal lover, just over-burdened by two adult Macaques. No space, facilities, handling, time, etc.

I only got a fleeting minute or two with them before I departed on my bus, but I suspect if someone approached her tactfully, and in a friendly way she'd be happy to let them go to freedom. If perhaps for a small fee.

If you saw them, you'd want to help too.

Jog someone will you?

But keep it kindly, or she will just hide them away from view.

The baby Gibbon got lots of attention, and played wonderfully with the GSD.

But the poor Macacques...

Edited January 22, 2007 by cmjc

[Briggsy]

A baby gibbon. These are not so easy to acquire. Once it starts flying around the rafters of the bus station it may end up in a cage with the macaques.

I'll think about this.

[cmjc]

A baby gibbon. These are not so easy to acquire. Once it starts flying around the rafters of the bus station it may end up in a cage with the macaques.

I'll think about this.

Allow me to correct myself. I only saw the young Gibbon caged, (a seperate cage from the adult Macacques of course), they let a baby Macaque out of the cage it shared with the young Gibbon. The baby Macaque was on a lead, not let totally free.

Being 'cuter', the youngsters cage was cleaner, and more on display. The poor Macaques are further back, and to the left, in the dingy recesses.

It would be a mistake to be hard on the owner, tact and friendliness is the best approach.

I'm not able to get back there for some months.

[November Rain]

There's a gibbon rehabilitation centre in Phuket. I think they do have a few other primates, also. Don't know contact details. There is also a wildlife rehabilitation/ rescue place here (or Cha am, specifically) run by a Dutch guy, Edwin Wiek, I think that's his last name. I can't remember the name of his place though. I'll have a scout around, see if I can come up with any contact numbers or email. I'm not sure how far these groups would travel for rescue purposes, but they might be willing to help

[November Rain]

Still can't find anything on the gibbon place in Phuket, but the wildlife rescue place in Cha am is:

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

It's run by Edwin Wiek. Phone 032 458135, email [email protected]

They have gibbons & macacques, btw

Good luck

[cmjc]

Thanks for that, I've just emailed them too, let's see if they are any more responsive than the rest I've already emailed repeatedly.

The only one to even give a courtesty response was Lek at Elephant rescue, she said she'd pass it on to her friend who rescues apes. That was two weeks ago, and I've had no reply. The others just blackholed the emails.

They appear to be merely PR fronts, rather than genuinely concerned about animal welfare. I hope they will rapidly prove this thought wrong.

I'm in the sticks, so phoning is expensive, if you are nearer to BKK, could you alert them please? They should respond better to phone calls than email.

Thanks!

[princealbert]

Returning from Laos recently, I passed through Udon Thani bus station (number two).

Not the main bus station, but the one outside town where you catch the bus to Chiang Mai.

The agent in the bus station who sells bus tickets to Chiang Mai has two adult Macaques squashed in a filthy steel cage, too small for them to stand up in. It is about 3 feet by two feet. The male and female have no food or water, and sit in their filth, on glass bottles and rubbish. It is a pitiful sight, and smells awful. The female grooms the male, but their spirits are broken, and dignity gone.

I tried to forget about them as I climbed aboard my bus, but my conscience won't let me.

If we don't help, nobody else will.

The owner is clearly an animal lover, she's about 40, and also has a young Gibbon and baby Macaque together in a cage next to her ticket desk. The adults are a few metres to the left and further back from the road. She also has a friendly German Shepherd dog called 'Vikki' who plays nicely with the baby Macaque. I don't think she neglects the Macaques on purpose, but because they are too big to handle, and she's too busy to care for them properly. I suspect the baby Macaque is from this adult pair.

I only saw them for a minute or two, and didn't get the chance to ask her about them, but my guess is she'd be glad to let you have them for rehabilitation if you approached her tactfully. I'm sure you are used to dealing with such situations.

Please can you help, or put me in touch with somebody else who can help release these poor creatures from their awful captivity. They look like they have been there for years.

I have already emailed (several times) without any response, the following animal welfare groups in Thailand:

warthai.org, tscwa.org, the Maesot Ape rescue, and North Thailand Elephant rescue.

Surely somebody cares?

Once the owner has agreed to release them; there's a big air base in Udon, perhaps they could be flown down to a rehab centre. The Air Force could use it as good public relations.

Perhaps a local representative in Issan could visit them soon?

They are easy to find:

Just go to Udon Thani bus station number two, and ask where to buy a ticket to Chiang Mai. There's only one agent, and the Macaques are behind some junk, just a few feet from her desk, right next to the road side.

Please, let's help these poor creatures.

I saw these adults macaques first time in June 06 when i tried talking cordially about them to the woman about them she became very hostile with me and walked away ranting, passing through Udon more recently in December they were still there looking as deprived as the 1st time, i didnt want the same abuse hurled at me so kept well clear.

There is also a 3' crocodile in a 3'x2' tank inside where people can leave their baggage.

I searched for places in thailand to report this neglect but got nowhere.

I wish you all the best in your endevour to get these unfortunates a better life.

[cmjc]

princealbert:

Thank you for your comments. It validates my post, and gives useful insight into the owner. Clearly, you are not the first to speak to her about her pets, that is why she went away from you.

Though I'm sure you were polite, I can understand her point of view, (especially if she's perhaps been wound-up by other factors in her life) "...foreigners coming and telling me what to do etc..."

Your forewarning will help evoke a better response next time. I'm sure Thai to Thai would be much more palatable to her, and effective at releasing the Macaques from their prison.

If you are based in Chiang Mai, there's an elephant rescue base near you, and they may be able to advise, could you give them a call please?

There's also an Englishwoman in HK who's had great success getting China to close down bear farms in China, by tact and persuasion, rather than confrontation.

There's a new monkey hospital in Lopburi who would have tactful Thai Staff possibly able to help. Could someone near Lopburi contact them about this please?

Also nudging local Udon journalists and radio stations would be another idea.

Link that up with kind folks at the Udon Air Base, (rapid transport to a sanctuary) and there's potential for a good PR story for Thailand.

Perhaps there's even a Wat nearby who could take them in, and give them more room. Some Wats specialise in keeping wild animals. Then the owner might see it as 'making merit' by donating them. Something like that is better than making her feel like a villain.

A gentle phone call to the owner from some local Udon or Nong Khai big-wig could work wonders too. Or a national figure like Dr. Mechai, even a Thai celebrity like 'Bird'.

I can't see her rejecting soft approaches from people like that. Great PR for them too.

Then, there's this very influential lady, who is from Blighty:

http://www.warthai.org/content/Leonie.html

She's on the Thai SPCA Board, as well.

So far I've had no response through their web site.

Anyone got friends in Udon, or contacts with luminaries?

Let's have your ideas to help...