Thailand returns 14 smuggled orangutans to Indonesia

[webfact]

Thailand returns 14 smuggled orangutans to Indonesia
BANGKOK | BY PATPICHA TANAKASEMPIPA

BANGKOK: -- Fourteen orangutans smuggled into Thailand illegally were sent back to Indonesia on Thursday, but the operation was not without incident -- one of the powerful apes tore a wildlife officer's finger off when he tried to put them in cages.

Twelve of the orangutans were smuggled into Thailand as babies and rescued seven years ago by police and sent to a wildlife breeding centre in Ratchaburi, 80 kms (50 miles) west of Bangkok. Two of the great apes were born at the centre.

"The animals were still babies when we got them and they should have been sent back right away," Edwin Wiek, director of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand told Reuters. "Now it's too late for them to go back to the wild."

Full story: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/12/uk-thailand-orangutans-idUKKCN0T106820151112


-- Reuters 2015-11-12

[Strangebrew]

Figures made money off them first. Good at least one got a finger.

[worgeordie]

Anyone charged with smuggling of these Apes? nothing mentioned ,so I guess not !

regards Worgeordie

[B166ER]

....send them back home to what? Their forests are ablaze as we speak....natural habitat completely wiped out so our cookies and other fast food delights will stay moist. Cheap palm oil rules in the land of the Orangutan now....maybe they were doing what the rest of the worlds economic refugees are doing....

[Alration]

Anyone charged with smuggling of these Apes? nothing mentioned ,so I guess not !

regards Worgeordie

As usual the Bangkok Post has the full story, these apes were abandoned by their smugglers.

[Alration]

....send them back home to what? Their forests are ablaze as we speak....natural habitat completely wiped out so our cookies and other fast food delights will stay moist. Cheap palm oil rules in the land of the Orangutan now....maybe they were doing what the rest of the worlds economic refugees are doing....

"Their...natural habitat completely wiped out".

Nonsense, that would mean that there are none living in the wild.

[webfact]

14 Orangutans sent home today



BANGKOK: -- Thailand today sent home 14 orangutans aboard a C130 transport plane to Indonesia.

Among the 14 orangutans, nine males and five females, sent home, 11 were abandoned by smugglers on a highway in Phuket, one was seized in Chumphon, and two were born while in captivity.

They were later tested to be Borneo species after they were rescued and sent to Khao Pratubchang Wildlife Breeding Center in Chombueng district of Ratchaburi province.

The return of the 14 orangutans to Indonesia was witnessed by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Gen Surasak Kanchanarat, and Indonesian ambassador Mr Lutfi Rauf at a ceremony held at Don Mueang airport today.

This was the third time that Thailand sent home smuggled orangutans home in the past six years.

In 2006, Thailand sent home 48 orangutans, and four in 2007.

Throughout the past six years, Thailand spent over three million baht in taking good care of these apes and did not charge the origin country so as to strengthen the good relation of both countries, and to send clear message of Thailand’s strong determination to crack down on wildlife smuggling drastically.

The flight time from Bangkok to Indonesia is three hours.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/14-orangutans-sent-home-today


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-12

[ironbark]

For once the ape got the upper hand.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thai TV showed a visiting hi-so being handed nourishing food for the apes. Dunkin' donuts!

[Jeremy50]

Let's hope that they can be found a patch of forest that hasn't been burnt down to make way for the vile palm oil trade.

Why do I often see people buying 20 or more bottles of this stuff at the supermarket, what the hell do they do with it?

[Nowisee]

I'm struggling to find something positive from this so called good will gesture.

They're simply being sent back to another country to live life in a cage.. these animals (I am assuming) cannot be released into the forest/jungle as they have lived their lives in captivity...almost a certain death sentence.

I can only hope they are taken care of as man pretty much f-ed up their life.

[realenglish1]

Here is an idea that Thais have never thought of Establish a colony of Orangutans here . Since there habitat is being destroyed it looks like they won't be around in a while

However if you establish a habitat for them here and in other tropical climate you guarantee their survival.

Actually on second thought Thais cannot even take care of their National Symbol the elephant so how can you expect them to take care of other species

[crusty]

Here is an idea that Thais have never thought of Establish a colony of Orangutans here . Since there habitat is being destroyed it looks like they won't be around in a while

However if you establish a habitat for them here and in other tropical climate you guarantee their survival.

Actually on second thought Thais cannot even take care of their National Symbol the elephant so how can you expect them to take care of other species

No way, the Thai Somchai's would start rooting the females !