Thai Zoo Owner Faces Charges

[george]

Thai zoo owner faces charges

BANGKOK - Thai police say they are going to charge the owner of a private Bangkok zoo with illegal possession of protected wildlife after a raid exposed hundreds of orang-utans and tigers.

More than 150 forestry police swooped on the Safari World zoo after receiving a tip-off that many orang-utans, native only to Borneo and Sumatra, were being kept there.

"The police will take a few days to re-check all relevant documents before charging the owner of Safari World with illegally possession a large number of wildlife," Forestry Police chief Major General Sawek Pinsinchai said.

He said police believed the owner transferred other protected animals to a theme park in the resort island of Phuket and to his own property in the Prachin Buri province.

Sawek said that as part of a campaign to wipe out the illicit trade in rare animals, forestry police were also planning a raid on another zoo, which was suspected of keeping wildlife without a licence.

Source: News24

[sriracha john]

UPDATE... more problems for this tainted facility...

SAFARI WORLD

Fury at dolphin import plan

Safari World's plan to import bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands has been opposed by an animal rights group. The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition recently sent a letter to the Department of Fisheries, lobbying the agency not to grant the zoo an import licence. The letter voiced concern that the dolphin population in the Solomon Islands is not known, so large-scale hunting of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins could pose an extinction threat. The dolphin is listed in Appendix II of Cites - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Trade is permitted under the condition that the export of animals must not be detrimental to a species' survival in the wild. But there is no credible information to clarify the dolphin population. The letter also said: "If allowed to proceed, we believe this import will jeopardise the international reputation of the country and its tourism industry." "Thailand is an international destination for tourists. There is no reason why Thailand needs to import a few dolphins." Safari World was not available for comment.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/161008_News/16Oct2008_news14.php

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No word yet on whether Safari World plans to offer bottlenose dolphin boxing matches...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Activists-Se...ing-t14172.html

Activists Seek Ban On Bangkok Boxing Apes, seizure order for Safari World's apes

or if they'll be offered as breaded fillets with a side salad like another Thai facility...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Chiang-Mai-S...s-M-t50982.html

Chiang Mai Safari: Rare Animals On The Menu At Zoo; eat lion, tiger, elephant, giraffe meat

Edited October 16, 2008 by sriracha john

[markdevas]

hi

He said police believed the owner transferred other protected animals to a theme park in the resort island of Phuket and to his own property in the Prachin Buri province.