Phuket Zoo stonewalls orangutan investigators
Kongleaphy Keam

PHUKET: -- Phuket Zoo management is stonewalling officials investigating the case of Milo, a 13-year-old orangutan.

“The Zoo manger, Surapong Chanthaweewong, has refused to answer any questions with regard to how the orangutan was obtained, cared for, or ‘released into the wild’,” said Piyawat Sukhon, chief of the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Zone. “He simply told us that we should continue with the legal process.”

When contacted by the Phuket Gazette, the Phuket Zoo employee who answered the call declined to comment and denied having any contact information for the Zoo manager.

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-Zoo-stonewalls-orangutan-investigators/63282?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-02-29

Anyone surprised?

Put him in a cage until he tells everything,and when he does,still don't let him out.

regards Worgeordie

Seems like someone is not very worried about the legal process. Surprise surprise. Well connected in Phuket, are we?

It's no secret that to keep quiet and allow the wheels of justice to grind to a halt is the best defence here.

If I were him I'd do the same: relying on the Thai 'legal process' is the perfect get out of the cage free card.

Anyone surprised?

No ..

Release Surapong into the wild naked like the orangutan.

Fair play.

Meanwhile, behind the curtain, figures are being tossed back and forth to come to a solution.

At least the ape isnt suffering anymore. Thats all that matters.

They will fill its old enclosure with some more alligators.

I've never been on the receiving end, but, if I was being questioned by investigators trying to build a case to prosecute me, I would also remain silent.

Phuket Zoo is owned by the same family as Phuket Botanic Garden and Phuket Bird Park - two other tourist rip-off sites.

And the claim that the orang utan was found wild in a small patch of rain forest on Phuket is either nonsense (orang utans are native to Borneo and Sumatra, nowhere else) or suggests that someone else had released her there.

Not talking to the press is sensible. I cannot see any reason why the Phuket Gazette should feel that anyone has any obligation whatsoever to answer any of their questions.

Phuket Zoo is owned by the same family as Phuket Botanic Garden and Phuket Bird Park - two other tourist rip-off sites.

And the claim that the orang utan was found wild in a small patch of rain forest on Phuket is either nonsense (orang utans are native to Borneo and Sumatra, nowhere else) or suggests that someone else had released her there.

Just out of curiouisity, I never been to both but may do so later with my kids, why is the Botanic Garden and Bird Park a rip off? not much to see? or expensive tickets?

At least the ape isnt suffering anymore.

Yes he is.

He's so traumatized that he can't answer his own telephone any more and has to send out low-level lackies to defend him from the brutish inquiries of Phuket's normally subservient press corps.

How awful for the poor delicate petal.

In Phuket the laws are just a piece of paper with no real substance

Not talking to the press is sensible. I cannot see any reason why the Phuket Gazette should feel that anyone has any obligation whatsoever to answer any of their questions.

If there is nothing to hide....talk

If there is something to hide.... don't talk

Either the investigators have no power or the Zoo owner has more pull with the BIB.

Either the investigators have no power or the Zoo owner has more pull with the BIB.

Why? In every country one does not have to day anything to investigators. And in this case that seems the smartest move.