Thai authorities rescue wild macaques smuggled in pickup truck

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

Wild monkeys rescued from a truck during a smuggling attempt receive care at the animal field hospital in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand May 28, 2021 in this still image from video taken May 28, 2021. Thai Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (PR DNP)/Handout via

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai wildlife authorities said on Saturday they had rescued over 100 long-tailed macaques that were being illegally smuggled in the back of a pickup truck, but more than a dozen did not survive.

 

The truck was intercepted on Thursday at a checkpoint while on its way to a Thai province bordering Cambodia, transporting 102 macaques in blue mesh bags which were stashed together in various plastic baskets.

 

The monkeys could be seen struggling and gasping for air when authorities found them, according to video footage provided to Reuters by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

 

Thai veterinarians have set up a field hospital, equipped with ultrasound scanners and breathing tubes, to treat 80 of the macaques. Four were in critical condition while 18 did not survive, authorities said.

 

Some of the monkeys were pregnant.

 

"The monkeys were exhausted and dehydrated for a long time. Some of them had respiratory problems because of overcrowding during the smuggling operation," the department's head vet Pattarapol Maneeon said.

 

The driver of the truck was being detained for wildlife smuggling.

 

The man told local media that he was hired for 3,000 baht ($96) to drive the truck to the border and that he was not aware there were monkeys in the back of the vehicle.

 

($1 = 31.2600 baht)

(Reporting by Prapan Chankaew; Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Kim Coghill)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-05-30

 

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[toofarnorth]

There are some nasty   ....ers around . This driver being one.  I know many pickup drivers have no idea about anything  going on around then but to say he was paid to drive to the border but had no idea what was in the back .

Nothing more ......................................................

[Misterwhisper]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The man told local media that he was hired for 3,000 baht ($96) to drive the truck to the border and that he was not aware there were monkeys in the back of the vehicle.

Freakin' liar.

 

If I were hired to drive any vehicle that is obviously loaded with a consignment of unknown goods to a border area (i.e. a border crossing), first thing I'd want to know is what exactly is stacked in the back. Could be drugs. Could be weapons. Could be illegal wildlife. I could get myself into real trouble if caught.

 

He knew exactly what he was transporting. But money once again took precedence over ethics and morals.

 

But now he has the opportunity to prove that he still has a tiny bit of human dignity left and reveal who hired him. But I bet he will only cough up some run-of-the-mill nickname, claiming he had never met that person before.

 

Who in their right mind accepts to transport goods of a totally unknown nature for a total stranger?

 

I find this wildlife trafficking trade disgusting! It makes me so angry that I cannot even express it in words.

 

Look at the OP pic and watch the video. It's heartbreaking.

[sanuk711]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Wild monkeys rescued from a truck

 

So Cambodia cant get enough monkeys............................????

[ThaIrish Sean]

With the potential that covid-19 came from wildlife, the whole world should be trying to curb the wildlife trade.

Throw the book at this guy and advertise the fact.

I would stop short of putting him in a plastic bag to suffocate....... But only just!!!

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The man told local media that he was hired for 3,000 baht ($96) to drive the truck to the border and that he was not aware there were monkeys in the back of the vehicle.

Yeah okay...