Firstly not sure where I should have posted this so apologies if it should have been somewhere else. I wanted to vent my anger about my sad and shocking experience yesterday.

 

On my way to the Pata mall yesterday (near Pinklao Bridge) to buy a piece of specialist equipment (trust me - that is the only reason I would ever visit this sad excuse for a mall) my wife mentioned that the mall was once famous for having a gorilla on the top floor. Immediately remembering the story from some years ago I googled it and read in the UK's Independent News website (a story dated 2015, link below) about how after 28 years of living in solitary confinement on the top floor of a run down mall in an aircon enviroment with no natural sunlight and purely there for the pleasure of the locals - that the Thai govt had stepped in and had promised to close this so-called zoo and rehome Bua Noi. This was their response to the international outcry about these terrible conditions endured by this beautiful creature.

 

Happy with the knowledge that this shocking treatment of Bua Noi had come to an end I went about my business constantly commenting to my wife about how run down and dingey this mall was. As I was on my way out I stopped in my tracks as I noticed the entrance up to the 'zoo' was staffed. So I went in and was told by the staff that the zoo was very much still open and I could go up and see the gorilla. Poor Bua Noi was still being kept up there - I was shocked, dismayed and saddened. 3 years on from the Thai authorities pledge to rehome Bua Noi and they have done nothing...... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!

 

From another source (also below) I read that the owners have been offered professional experts to assist in relocating Bua Noi to anywhere in the world and it will not cost them a penny to let this happen. To date the owners have refused the help and prefer to let Bua Noi see out his days in these awful conditions in a run down mall that attracts next to no visitors.

 

I have many great and happy experiences in Thailand but yesterday was certainly not one of them.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/gorilla-rescued-from-bangkok-zoo-on-shopping-centres-seventh-floor-after-28-years-in-captivity-10108149.html

 

https://www.change.org/p/save-gorilla-trapped-in-shopping-mall-zoo-for-30-years-help-find-homes-for-little-lotus-and-other-primates-living-in-steel-concrete-cages-with-no-sunshine/u/22886817

This is sad. You may want to contact

http://www.thaispca.com/en/index.php

There are apparently animal cruelty prevention laws  on the book here too but not sure how much teeth they have.

Apalling! Not one of the priorities of Mr. Prayut Chanocha nor his deputy, the one who has friends who lend him expensive watches..

Should be stating a petition or pass this around so people knows what is happen to the gorilla. 

Sad the gorilla is not a “dog”, then it would be released immediately onto the sois to roam freely.

Useless buggers. But, TiT. What else can you expect?

21 hours ago, greenmonkey said:

I read that the owners 

This is the really farcical bit: you can't 'own' a wild animal. Though I'm sure the morons who claim to own it would disagree.

I don't remember this particular gorilla but for many years there was an outdoor bar in sukhumvit soi 11 which had a large gorills chained to a tree at the far end of the place. This bar still exists but is now completely roofed and no gorilla.

I saw Bua Noi when visiting Pata Mall in the early 90's.  It's criminal (literally) that the animal is still there.  An order was issued by the authorities to move the gorilla along with other large animals.  Unfortunately, this being Thailand, it's never been enforced.  The owner deserves arrest and the order enforced but I'm sure it's a case of 'money talks'.

19 hours ago, Bang Bang said:

This is sad. You may want to contact

http://www.thaispca.com/en/index.php

There are apparently animal cruelty prevention laws  on the book here too but not sure how much teeth they have.

I have sent them an e-mail, hopefully we can do something........and thanks to greenmonkey for the original post and info. A truly sad state of affairs for a "Buddhist" Country.......

A petition of 50,000 and an official order from the wildlife authorities back at the beginning of 2015 (they were ordered to move the gorilla along with other large animals by mid year) didn't achieve a result.  Not sure that anything else can be done.  The authorities should be pressured into enforcing the order that they issued!!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10564375/Harrods-pet-department-to-shut-after-nearly-100-years.html

 

And to think that as recently as back in the sixties, one could perchase a lion in a boutique store in the middle of London!!

4 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

This is the really farcical bit: you can't 'own' a wild animal. Though I'm sure the morons who claim to own it would disagree.

Did it come from the wild?  Can anyone "own" any animal, wild or domesticated, then?

5 hours ago, toenail said:

Sad the gorilla is not a “dog”, then it would be released immediately onto the sois to roam freely.

Sometimes it’s better to just say nothing

1 hour ago, yopf said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10564375/Harrods-pet-department-to-shut-after-nearly-100-years.html

 

And to think that as recently as back in the sixties, one could perchase a lion in a boutique store in the middle of London!!

Legally.  You seem to be suggesting otherwise.

Well then,  just go to social media and make it worldwide news and Big Joke will be there in a  few seconds. 

Don't let it rest until the gorilla leaves Thailand for good. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

Did it come from the wild?  Can anyone "own" any animal, wild or domesticated, then?

As far as I can remember, the plaque said it was 'gifted' to Thailand and is the only one in Thailand.

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Legally.  You seem to be suggesting otherwise.

Correct. My parents owned a pet and garden shop at that time and an item on the list from the wholesaler was lion cubs. I think I remember the price was £100 each. My dad advertised lion cubs in his shop window at £300 a pop, just as a gimmick (this was South East London, and there were no Yardie dons around then to drive around with one chained in their Range Rover arab-style). It got decent footfall from people asking to see them! Seriously though, lead time I think was a month or two. ? 

Any pics available of the poor gorilla?

plenty of pics on google. 

I found two more articles about Pata zoo. In one of the articles the director/owner is quoted as saying that he has done nothing wrong and that he started the zoo 30 years ago because he 'loves animals'. Sickening.

 

Check out the second article... lots of photos and they quite harrowing.

 

https://www.thedodo.com/gorilla-shopping-mall-bangkok-2137964251.html

 

https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/orangutan-on-floor-pata-zoo-thailand

Maybe the Jane Goodall Foundation should be informed ?

 

http://www.janegoodall.org/

51 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

Maybe the Jane Goodall Foundation should be informed ?

 

http://www.janegoodall.org/

A very commendable organisation but I doubt there's anything she can do here.

This is the only reason Id love to win Lotto.

( Im happy with my life as it is otherwise .)

But to have the money to do these things like to be able to find out who owns this zoo , having already had researchers find out who can properly  transport and house these animals - all of 'em.

 

Then offer  xxx,xxx US dollars for the 'collection'.

When he says 'No' , offer a tad more .

If he still refuses , then say , "Ok , the next offer is to somebody who needs a new watch collection , and will use the law to take all these poor animals out of your hands. And you will get nothing ."

 

Short of that , isnt a big media organisation somewhere looking for a cause ?

This photo was taken at Pata zoo. And the owner insists he 'loves' animals...

I'm sorry to read this, i also thought the gorilla would be relocated somewhere...

 

I'll never ever visit this mall or another one from same owners.

18 hours ago, Dario said:

Apalling! Not one of the priorities of Mr. Prayut Chanocha nor his deputy, the one who has friends who lend him expensive watches..

How do you know he was informed and made this decision? Please reference articles.

11 hours ago, greenmonkey said: