Thai Customs Seize Thousands Of Endangered Animals

[Lite Beer]

Thai customs seize thousands of endangered animals

BANGKOK, September 14, 2011 (AFP) - Nearly 2,000 monitor lizards, hundreds of turtles and 20 snakes were among a huge haul of live endangered animals found hidden in a truck by Thai authorities, a wildlife group said Wednesday.

The vehicle is believed to have been on its way across Thailand to Laos when it was intercepted by customs officers at a checkpoint in Pranburi, central Thailand, on Tuesday evening, Freeland Foundation said.

The creatures, valued at $132,000 on the black market, were being transported on a well known route, the wildlife group said, adding that it was the second seizure at the checkpoint this year.

"These seizures highlight the urgent need for regional cooperation to stop the criminal gangs behind the transport of wildlife along this route," a statement from the wildlife counter-trafficking organisation said.

In total, officers found 1,940 monitor lizards, 717 turtles, 44 civets -- a small mammal -- 15 cobras and five pythons. The statement said the driver of the van was arrested.

Thailand's fisheries department will release the turtles back into the wild and the other animals will be sent to a government park centre, Freeland said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-09-14

[SiriusBlack1]

Two THOUSAND monitor lizards??

I didn't know there were that many in the whole universe!

[Richard4849]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

[Tropicalevo]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

They are a very popular dish with people from Issan . We have monitor lizards in the area where we live on Koh Samui and I try and stop the workers from hunting them.

(Found a monitor lizard in my pool once! )

Sad that these animals/reptiles etc are still being hunted. There won't be many left soon!

Edited September 14, 2011 by Tropicalevo

[ScubaBuddha]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

Going to Laos..maybe they were gunna eat'em.

[Richard4849]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

Going to Laos..maybe they were gunna eat'em.

They don't have their own over there? I thought they were common throughout the region.

[jeanpierre]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

Going to Laos..maybe they were gunna eat'em.

viisa run?

[ShopBoy]

Sad

Edited September 14, 2011 by ShopBoy

[londonthai]

monitor lizards and cobras are plentiful. They are be under protection, but not sure, for what reason.

monitor lizards live even in the lumpini park and other parks in bangkok and walk in broadlight on the lawns

[Frenchtouch]

How come the guys who transported these animals were arrested though you can buy the same so-called endangered species at Chatuchak market in the pet section every weekend from Thai vendors? Some rare bird species are also for sale there? Only once I saw some police forces patrolling around but that day, the rare species weren't there!

[londonthai]

How come the guys who transported these animals were arrested though you can buy the same so-called endangered species at Chatuchak

because they had a lot of them and they were cought. At chatuchak there are far less those animals and they can be hidden in between of the other species, at the back of the shops, in hidden compartments, moved away in bags etc. Nobody is going to sell them, when the cops are patrolling - traders do have a system of warning and communication in such cases

[DP25]

How come the guys who transported these animals were arrested though you can buy the same so-called endangered species at Chatuchak market in the pet section every weekend from Thai vendors? Some rare bird species are also for sale there? Only once I saw some police forces patrolling around but that day, the rare species weren't there!

These animals aren't all rare. For some it is fine to trade them within a country, but when you try to trade them internationally it is illegal. There is no shortage of monitor lizards in the country, but it is still illegal to trade them internationally. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which Thailand has signed, includes animals that are not currently threatened, but could become threatened if international trade in them were allowed to go on. So you can buy some of these at Chatujak, but if you try to take them out of the country you can be arrested.

[Boycie]

BBC News, Video Report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14921009

ITN News, Video Report

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3-KKttYQs0

Edited September 15, 2011 by Boycie

[timberboy]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

someone in a neighboring country must really be hungry

[plumeria]

If somebody had caught them for dinner to feed the kids, that's understandable. But this is commercial.

First chop down all the forests.

Then sell off all the animal inhabitants.

And wonder why we have flooding and extreme weather and monster storms and a rainy season expected to last a month or two longer than normal.

We reap what we sow, oh no.

[Orgathai]

it is time to monitor the monitor lizards

[Dap]

Who would want a monitor lizard? Yecch!

Going to Laos..maybe they were gunna eat'em.

They don't have their own over there? I thought they were common throughout the region.

Have to import, they have already eaten the local variety

[Frenchtouch]

These animals aren't all rare. For some it is fine to trade them within a country, but when you try to trade them internationally it is illegal. There is no shortage of monitor lizards in the country, but it is still illegal to trade them internationally. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which Thailand has signed, includes animals that are not currently threatened, but could become threatened if international trade in them were allowed to go on. So you can buy some of these at Chatujak, but if you try to take them out of the country you can be arrested.

Thanks a lot. That's a very clear answer Just one more question if I may? So how can you know if it is legal or illegal to buy some species of parrots at Chatujak for example? Is there a list of animals you can't trade in Thailand? I'd love to purchase a parrot, one of the Invictus specie, f.e. how can I know it's allowed here or not?

[Richard4849]

Maybe Thailand should position itself as the water monitor lizard hub of SE Asia.

[KKK]

Thanks a lot. That's a very clear answer Just one more question if I may? So how can you know if it is legal or illegal to buy some species of parrots at Chatujak for example? Is there a list of animals you can't trade in Thailand? I'd love to purchase a parrot, one of the Invictus specie, f.e. how can I know it's allowed here or not?

Not sure how it works with the law but wouldn't an animal bred in captivity be different than one caught in the wild. I.E. parrot caught from the wild and offered for sale ... ILLEGAL. Same type of parrot bred in captivity by licensed breeder, if there is such a thing, NOT ILLEGAL.

[Bitis4ever]

Hi all,

I´m still have animals(Reptiles) which are under CITES Law.For every animal you buy and is under that List(Mammals,Birds,Reptiles,Plants,Insects,etc.),you need a proof,that it is legal.Dont mater WC or CB.At the Paperwork,you can see everthing,for what the owner aplied and the CITES Office issued.Without this Paperwork,you have a illigal animal.Some of the have a very small chip inside,so they can proof with a Scanner the animal.All Cobras,Giant Snakes,Monitors and few other Reptiles are protectet under CITIS Law.That also meens,that they can punish somebody,who has a illigal animal,ore killed one,ore a skin,or even parts from them.The law came over 30 years ago out and its mainly to protect the overcolecting,what happens regular.So if you buy anythig,check it out before,if you dont to get in trouble. Hans