8 years WFFT, see here the statistics of the rescues, a staggering 1600+ rescued animals!

For lots of pictures of rescues go to our Facebook page of the: Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

 

Bua Ngun the City Elephant
Retirement at 65 years

November 2009 Elephants are originally wild animals; most of us know this I think. But in Thailand over 2,000 individuals are actually captive animals, most of them were born in the wild living with a herd of their own in lush forests, green grass areas with lakes and rivers to bathe in. These wild animals normally live up to 80 years in herds in the wild and have a reasonably happy life as long as they can stay away from their only enemy and predator, humans. This story is about one of the unfortunate elephants from Thailand, for whom the tide has turned this week. See and read more here...

 

Malayan Sun Bear Cub Rescued

August 2009 On Sunday August the 30th, a 3 month old Malayan Sun Bear arrived at the WFFT wildlife hospital. He had been living a happy existence with his mother in the wild, before being hunted and caught in our local Kaengkrachan national park. After being captured, his front and back legs were tied together so tightly, that when he arrived he could barely ... drag himself along the ground. He had severe swelling and inflammation around his ankles and wrist joints, as well as suffering from gastroenteritis and dehydration. His pain was relieved soon after arriving with several injections to help reduce the swelling and make him feel more comfortable. Amazingly, within a few hours the little cub was on his feet and attempting his first steps since capture. Now, the medical staff take him on several short walks a day, without any difficulty. He's got a strong spirit, and is very alert and interested in the the new world around him. He is being closely monitored by our vet team. Click here for pictures....

 

Forest Restoration, WFFT Planting season continues…

August 2009 WFFT and The Department of National Parks with a dedicated team of volunteers who came to us through ISV, (International Student Volunteers), have planted 1000 trees in Kaeng Krachan National Park. The DNP heard about WFFT successful Forest Restoration Project and invited us to assist with Forest Restoration for the first time. The team of volunteers spent three days planting the trees which were all grown at the WFFT Tree Nursery. This group of volunteers is the third group sent through ISV that have assisted with WFFT Restoration Project. For pictures click here!

 

Sumo2… yet another loris!

June 2009 Another loris was handed into WFFT that was almost the size of a koala! She had been kept as a pet and fed a diet of porridge, cereal and milk and was severely overweight. In the wild, slow loris exist on a diet of mainly fruit, tree gum and nectar but also eat large insects, nestling birds, eggs and lizards. Luckily she has been handed into WFFT and has been started on a proper diet monitored by the vet team. She has been homed in a suitable environment, one of our new enclosures sponsored by Care for the Wild so she can now exercise and become a healthy size, not sumo size!

 

A Starved Pet!

June 2009 When people take any animal as a pet they should weigh up the costs that may be involved. Can they afford to feed it, medical bills and housing for the animal… even illegal wildlife! So WFFT were disturbed and horrified when an Asemese Macaque was recently brought into the vet clinic for treatment 2 weeks after she had stopped eating! The owner couldn’t afford treatment at first and then was scared to ask for help because she was in such a terrible condition. By the time he was desperate enough to bring her to our hospital, she looked like an anorexic child. Although the vet team tried hard to save her, it was already too late. She died 24 hours after being admitted. This was a sad and unnecessary death but she is no longer suffering. For the shocking pictures click here!

 

Bush Meat Trade….. Palm Civets!

June 2009 Three Common Palm Civet kittens, (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), were recently brought into WFFT. Their mother had been clubbed to death by hunters and was then eaten as Bush Meat. One of the kittens was completely paralyzed and sadly had to be euthanized. The other kittens who are named Jimmy and Lou, are getting on very well in one our forest enclosures. Common Palm Civets are often caught and sold in the bush meat trade. They are also pursued by humans, who kill them for damaging orchards and plantations. Its feces are used in coffee made in Indonesia. For pictures click here!

 

Bears Rescued from a Ratchaburi pig farm!!!

May 2009 WFFT was alerted to a case at a pig farm in Ratchaburi, about 1 hour south from Bangkok. Here two bears were being housed in poor and filthy conditions and obviously malnourished. One sun bear and one Asiatic black bear. The owner had bought them originally as pets and was now bored with them. He had invited his staff to slaughter them for food, at which point a concerned neighbour stepped in and “rescued” the bears from the pot by buying them. The new owner was obliged to take the bears away from their current location and had nowhere to look after them. Every government rescue centre has turned them down due to lack of space/resources. However, the bears were already starting to break out of their inadequate cages. Previously a gibbon was housed in the cage next to the black bear, but the black bear found a way in and ate the gibbon. For pictures click here!!!!

 

Fishing cat rescued, soon to be released back to the wild

May 2009 After receiving a report that a “large cat” had been found and caged near a mangrove forest in Petchaburi, one hour north of the rescue centre, the WFFT rescue team was on the road again. When they arrived they found a male Fishing Cat, (Prionailurus viverrinus), being kept in a very small cage looking extremely thin and in poor condition. After speaking to the “owner” the WFFT established that the wild fishing cat had been captured and kept for 3 months after he had been seen eating livestock from the gentleman’s property. Unfortunately, since his capture, the cat hasn’t been fed correctly which means he is now extremely malnourished and in need of help to improve his health in preparation for his eventual release back to the wild. We expect the fishing cat will need two months to recover before release.

Fishing Cats, of the size of a medium dog, are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN’s red list which is due mainly to habitat loss. Fishing Cats live in marshlands to hunt for their food; fish, small mammals and birds and this land is being over-developed for agriculture whilst rivers are poisoned by industry. They are also hunted for their beautiful olive-grey striped coats and for meat. pictures and video on the Facebook page!

 

The Day of Jack the Jackal… Part 2

May 2009 In June 2008 an Asiatic Golden Jackal, (Canis aureus), Joe was rescued from his life chained up outside a gas station. A new habitat was created for Joe at the end of last year and he has lived there happily ever since. It seemed he was destined to be the only jackal at the rescue centre until 2 weeks ago when Jack arrived. Under cover of darkness, his owner bought him from Bangkok to the rescue centre where he handed him over to Edwin. Jack is only a young pup, approximately 3 months old and already quite aggressive. Jackals are not a domesticated canine and make quite a dangerous pet. The owner obviously realized his mistake and now Jack has a home at WFFT until hopefully both Joe and Jack can find a safe place to be released back to the wild.

 

Trio of Lorises

May 2009 During April, we’ve continued to see lorises arrive into the rescue centre from many different situations. The first, an adult male, arrived 1 night after being found at the side of the road. While he is under observation he is currently being homed in one of our new loris habitats sponsored by Care for the Wild, awaiting release. The next was a juvenile, approximately 3 months old. Sold as a pet but only kept for a week before the owner decided he didn’t want him any more. He is currently being looked after by Lucy, WFFT's dedicated vet nurse. The final loris to arrive in April was an adult male attacked by a dog and bought to the rescue centre for treatment. When treatment is completed, his suitability for release back to the wild will be assessed. 

Currently, lorises are a fashionable pet throughout South East Asia but as a nocturnal animal soon become boring so are dumped at temples, rescue centers or even into the forest where they are unable to care for themselves after being brought up in captivity. Lorises have sharp teeth and an enzyme that can cause blood poisoning so are a dangerous animal to try and keep.

As the situation for lorises in Thailand become even more desperate, WFFT continues to work with our sponsors, Care for the Wild International, to create habitats, education and release programme for another unsuitable, unwanted “primate pet”.

 

Four New Primates in April

April 2009 We’ve made it into May with a continuous intake of new primates into the rescue centre proving that far from slowing down; the problem of monkeys and gibbons being taken from the wild is still ongoing.

Nana, a black white-handed gibbon, arrived at the rescue centre at the beginning of April after being a pet for almost 20 years. When her owners didn’t want her anymore they dumped her at a temple and the monks bought her into the rescue centre where she is now living in a new enclosure in quarantine.

Just a few days later we got another phone call from a concerned citizen who had seen a baby gibbon for sale in Kanchanaburi. April, a blonde, 5 month old, white-handed gibbon was not for sale to become a pet, she was actually for sale to become bush-meat… someone was going to eat her! The couple who found her were unable to allow this to happen and bought her to prevent it. Although April certainly thanks them for saving her life, this unfortunately does not help stop the trade in gibbons… money has changed hands and the dealer doesn’t care why or how he has made that money. However, April is now very happy here and has a friend in Pang Pon who arrived at WFFT earlier in the year.

We thought that was it for the gibbons but no, one more was destined to arrive. Tengkwa, a 2-3 year old brown white-handed gibbon, had been kept in a tiny cage as a pet in Hua Hin. She came to WFFT’s attention 6 months ago due to a complaint from a neighbor who could see she was in a terrible condition. We established contact immediately and tried to encourage the owner to hand her over to WFFT but she was unwilling. However, our vet team treated the terrible skin condition Tengkwa had developed and continued to work with the owner to try and convince her that WFFT could offer her a better life. The owner didn’t agree so WFFT logged a complaint to the police and whilst waiting for Tengkwa to be confiscated, the owner was finally ordered to hand over the gibbon and as further treatment was found necessary she was handed over to the WFFT medical help. Tengkwa’s medical condition has improved enormously and after she has gone through her quarantine period, she can be introduced to other juvenile gibbons at the rescue centre.

The final arrival was not a gibbon but another arboreal primate. This time a dusky Langur or leaf-monkey, approximately 4-5 months old arrived. Samui, (named after the island he was rescued from), had been seen by a lady who felt sorry for him due to the tiny cage he was confined in. She wanted to help him so she bought him from the owner and contacted WFFT to see if we could provide him a better home. Our partners in Chumphon went to collect Samui and bought him back to the rescue centre where we discovered again that another primate had developed a bad skin complaint, probably due to stress and poor diet. He was started on a course of treatment immediately and just over a week later we can already see improvements in his condition. The likelihood is Samui was a photographers prop in Ko Samui before he was rescued, where tourists paid to have their picture taken with a cute baby monkey. Langurs are extremely sensitive and stress and poor diet can easily kill these vulnerable primates. Samui has survived so far and is now given round the clock care by the dedicated WFFT staff. He has an amazing spirit and hopefully this will help pull him through the next few months, ready for when he can meet the other rescued & abandoned Langurs that have found a home at WFFT.

WFFT were able to build a new enclosure in quarantine where Nana now lives via the Primates Appeal on Facebook. However, more primates need our help. Please help if you can, by donating and forwarding this appeal to others. Donation online via Paypal is possible using this link: http://www.wfft.org/donation.htm If you prefer to donate via bank transfer, please write to us at info@wfft.org and we will provide you the details.

 

11 more orangutans confiscated after WFFT investigation and complaint

February 2009 After several rumours came to our attention that a private zoo in Phuket (Southern Thailand) was purchasing illegally imported orangutans to their zoo we decided to send over an investigation team down there to find out how much was true of these rumours. Within December 208 and January 2009 our teams visited the zoo three times and during the last visit found 11 juvenile and sub-adult orangutans kept in some very small cages behind a kitchen ground but also some in a larger enclosure at the show area. A large amount of pictures and videos were made as proof and a letter of complaint was formulated towards the DNP and Police to further investigate and arrest the owners and confiscate the orangutans. Within 3 weeks after complaint the zoo was raided and the orangutans taken to a facility of the government, unfortunately the zoo was not charged with illegal possession of wildlife and no arrest was made. This will make the fight against the illegal wildlife very difficult, but for now at least the orangutans are safely taken away from the zoo. The WFFT will keep on putting pressure for a full legal case against the zoo, and eventual closure of this "Crocodile farm and Tiger zoo" in Phuket.

 

High influx of primates in first quarter of 2009 

March 2009 Just 10 weeks into 2009 and already WFFT have seen an increase of 15 to the primate population at the rescue centre. This includes 5 white-handed gibbons, 5 long-tailed macaques, 2 stump-tailed macaques, 2 pig-tailed macaques and 1 dusky Langur. All have come from different circumstances, pets that are too aggressive, temples where they were kept in poor conditions and even government rescue centres without the resources to care for the animals properly.

4 of the new arrivals are juveniles that have been orphaned, rejected and abandoned but have ultimately found refuge with us at WFFT. The first to arrive was Mocha, a female pig-tailed macaque who at the time of her rescue in January was approximately 3 weeks old. She came to us from Ko Chang after witnessing her mother being murdered for the bush meat trade. Thaphet, (Diamond Eye), a female 7 month old long-tailed macaque came to us next from Khao Thapet Nature Centre in Surat Thani after being left there by her previous owners. Government rescue centres in Thailand are over-crowded, under-funded and unable to provide the standard of care they desperately wish to provide. On this occasion, WFFT was asked to step in to help take care of this juvenile monkey along with 6 other macaques. Finally, Latte, a male 6 month old pig-tailed macaque, was handed over to WFFT to complete the cheeky trio. Bought as a pet and kept for only 3 days before being handed over to WFFT by his owners… he was just too difficult for them to handle proving again macaques do NOT make good pets! Taa-Phet, Latte and Mocha now live together at WFFT, being cared for by the staff until they are ready to move in with Bandit, the resident foster-mother to orphaned macaques.

The final juvenile to arrive was Pang Pon, a 6-8 month old, female white-handed gibbon. She was illegally taken from Kaeng Krachan national park after witnessing her mother being shot and killed so she could become a pet. Pang Pon was suffering from a severe skin condition and was extremely distressed by her new life in captivity which could be seen by her compulsive need to pull out her own fur. Due largely to the dedication of our veterinary team she is getting better every day. She likes her food and even tries to sing and as her condition continues to improve, Pang Pon will soon be ready to meet other gibbons. Who knows, maybe she’ll even find her new mate and start the long road back to the wild, where she belongs. The other gibbons and macaques were taken in from several temples and and a government facility where they were dumped by their "owners".

 

Tiger mauls New-Zealand tourist in Thailand

January 2009 A captive female tiger called Nong Pancake at the Chiangmai “Tiger Kingdom” severely mauled a Kiwi tourist that visited the zoo and wanted to make a picture with the tiger as a holiday souvenir. The 150 kg heavy predator attacked Mrs. Ruth Colette when she sat down to pose for a picture with the tiger. The tiger was irritated as Mrs. Colette was one of the many tourists wanting to experience the photo session. Staff were not capable of preventing the attack, which left large and deep scars on both legs of the tourist who needed 54 stitches. See and read more here...

 

Fast start to 2009

January 2009 After the  Christmas and New Year holidays, things were back into full swing at the centre. In Mid January Dr. Cheryl MacPherson and her husband Mathew Sackman returned back to the centre after a period of two years working and living in Australia, where Cheryl gained much experience in anaesthesia and surgery. Although it seemed they never left, they were happy to see the success of the centre and the new enclosures for many of the (new) animals. They both were excited to be back and looking forward to the future at WFFT as well. More pictures and story here...

 

Farewell 2008, hello 2009 NEW!

There have been some tough efforts during the year, some more fruitful than others. Dealings with the government have been up and down as political turmoil and reshuffling of wildlife and conservation related departments have all had an impact on our campaigns. Whether it is the photo-prop gibbons on Koh Samui, the street begging elephants in Bangkok, our work to save animals from illegal and unethical zoos in various parts of the country or our collaboration with Mahidol University for release of gibbons back to the wild, we refuse to be defeated in fighting for what is right. We are looking forward to a brighter outlook in 2009, as our governmental and non-governmental alliances continue to build and strengthen our cause to promote better enforcement of wildlife protection. read much more here!
 

Elephants on the streets, one elephant off the street! NEW!

October 2008 After Edwin returned from the fundraiser in Sydney, Australia organized by Joan Pearson we had a problem. Besides the funds raised to buy a large piece of land for the elephants where they can roam around free of chains for 24 hours a day there were also funds raised to rescue one of the street elephants. Edwin was determined to rescue a small elephant calf that was seen in Cha-am and Petchaburi as a begging tool and that made headlines in the Thai newspapers when he got stuck in a waste acces-point on a sidewalk in Petchaburi. This 2-year-old elephant was taken away from its mother when only just a year old and worked the streets till 2 AM every day. Before Lucy, Noi and Edwin left for Sydney the owners of the elephant said they were willing to hand over "Kan Kloey" to the center if their debt for the elephant was taken over, however after return things got more complicated and it took almost two months for the deal to come through. Kan Kloey is now at the WFFT EREC and getting used to the new surroundings, the quite nights and most of all the other elephants at the center. On a first try-out Kan Kloey was introduced (more his choice then ours as he made a runner towards the big beasts) to the large females and he found a caring foster mother in Somboon, who joined him for an hour long swimming and bathing game. Currently Kan Kloey is getting less stressed by the day, but we feel it might take up to 6 months until he is less confused and really confident at the EREC. see on our Facebook page more...

 

Loi

 

Rescue of three macaques and a leopard cat (A volunteers account...) NEW

September 2008 "I have been a volunteer at the WFFT Wildlife Rescue Centre for 5 weeks, and on 3^rd September 2008 I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to accompany two members of the Wildlife Rescue Team on a rescue in Koh Chang, a small island near the border between Thailand and Cambodia.

The Wildlife Rescue Team travelled to Koh Chang to rescue a young female leopard cat named Leo, who had been kept as a pet.  Leo’s owner had been unable to provide for her complex needs and had taken her to a local vet, Lisa from Koh Chang, for treatment.  Lisa helped the cat’s owner to understand that she would be unable to keep Leo as a pet as she grew from a cute little kitten into a fully grown wild leopard cat.  Leo was immediately taken into Lisa’s care, and the WFFT were called in. Once the WFFT had arranged to collect Leo from Koh Chang and bring her to a new life at the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Petchaburi, it became apparent that there were more captive wild animals on Koh Chang in need of help. 

We visited a local temple where two macaques, one male and one female, were being kept on short chains.  The female was so obese that for a moment we wondered whether she could be pregnant, and when we saw her being fed a plate of leftovers from breakfast, the reason for her obesity soon became apparent.  The male macaque, Dollar, was behaving aggressively as people tried to pet him.  His owner had accompanied us to the temple in order to help and participate in  Dollar’s rescue.  She seemed emotional to be losing a much-loved ‘pet’, but it was obvious that she understood that releasing Dollar into the care of the Wildlife Rescue Centre’s staff, experts in caring for the needs of captive wild animals, was the best thing that she could ever do for him. 

Sadly, the monk who owns the female macaque did not feel the same way.  He seemed to understand and appreciate that the Wildlife Rescue Centre would provide his macaque with a large naturalistic enclosure, a proper diet and the company of other macaques.  Upon seeing photographs of the Wildlife Rescue Centre’s huge macaque ‘fields’, full of natural vegetation as well as man-made environmental enrichment, he had commented that they were ‘beautiful’.  But he just couldn’t bear to part with his favourite pet.  We cannot legally remove somebody’s pet without their permission, so despite repeated attempts to convince him to give up his macaque for the sake of her well-being, we were unable to rescue her on this visit.  The WFFT will continue to educate her owner, with the hope that one day she can join Dollar at the Wildlife Rescue Centre. 

Next we visited a lady who had two pet macaques, and had realised as they grew older and more aggressive, that they needed to be cared for in a more appropriate environment.  The macaques would spend most of their time in a small, dark, concrete enclosure containing nothing to keep them physically or mentally occupied.  The rest of their time was spent on chains in human company.  Their owner had tried hard to maintain their enclosure and enrich their environment with toys, but she had come to understand that they were in need of specialised care and seemed almost embarrassed to have been keeping them in such inadequate conditions for so long.  As I watched the older female macaque, Susi, reaching out of their enclosure to turn on a tap and allowing her young male companion Happy to drink before taking any water for herself, I realised just how hard I would have to work back at the Wildlife Rescue Centre to keep these active minds occupied! 

The team worked hard to keep the animals calm during the 7 hour journey back to the Wildlife Rescue Centre, stopping regularly to check on the animals and provide them with water.

Two weeks on, our new arrivals are settling in well.  Due to her young age Leo is being cared for by the veterinary team in the centre’s Wildlife Hospital.  Dollar, Happy and Susi are in quarantine where they are healthy and active, with staff and volunteers working hard to provide them with the care they need.  I feel really privileged to have been involved with this rescue and will continue to support the WFFT however possible, so that the chance for a better life here at the Wildlife Rescue Centre can be offered to more of Thailand’s many wild animals in need of help." Ann Keeley.

 

Chinese Serow rescue (NEW)

September 15, 2008 A Chinese Serow (Capricornis Milneedwardski) was found wandering on a forest trail in Kaengkrachan National park by forest rangers. The Serow, a highly endangered and under Thai law reserved species is under normal circumstances a very shy animal and would run for cover anytime it spots humans. This animal however seemed to be injured and disorientated. When the rangers came closer to the Serow they found several wounds on its body and both eyes heavily infected. Although the animal was very sick it still took the rangers some time to restrain the animal to take it to the ranger-station. At arrival it was found that the animal needed to get immediate surgery as both eyes were so badly infected and the animal could hardly stand on it own legs.

The WFFT mobile wildlife clinic was called, a rescue team of four, one veterinarian, two vet assistants and an animal keeper rushed to the scene. On arrival the Vet decided that the animal needed immediate surgery, as the infection was too close to the brain. The Serow was loaded on to the Mobile clinic and taken with high speed to the WFFT wildlife hospital for surgery. Surgery took over two hours and the Serow is now recovering, but will, in case it survives probably be blind for the rest of its life. More updates later... some pics here...

UPDATE SEP 21; Unfortunately the Serow has died after six days at the hospital. Autopsy has found that the wounds were healing well and the infection was gone. The Serow however died of Capture myopathy, a disease that occurs with many species of wildlife when captured from the wild. It is very hard to almost impossible to prevent or cure. 

 

New forested habitat for rescued Asiatic black bears at WFFT

July 2008 Free the Bears kindly sponsored another expansion to our bear sanctuary to enable us to better manage the now more than 20 bears residing at WFFT. Approximately 8000m^2 of semi-degraded forest has been sectioned off next to the existing bear enclosures and transformed into a new home for Joan & Bouncer, two Asiatic black bears at WFFT. Apart from a series of dens connecting to the neighboring enclosure, a large pool, a few tunnels and a two-storey climbing tower, the bears have been left with a number of natural trees for their pleasure.
Bouncer is so happy sleeping in the trees, that he is now rarely seen outside of feeding times. Despite losing a limb in a leg-trap in the wild when he was a young cub, he has developed to be a strong and agile bear and now good company for Joan. Her long life of confined captivity in miserable conditions at a temple in the north of Thailand is so far away from her now, that maybe, just maybe she can forget about it.

In any case, the happy couple is doing well in their new home and apart from chewing a few trees already, they have kept most of their forest habitat intact. WFFT is grateful to Mary Hutton and Matt Hunt at Free the Bears for continued support of our sanctuary for these remarkable creatures that have often proven so resilient to the cruelty of mankind. We are always seeking volunteers that are interested in helping to take care of our rescued bears here in Thailand, so for more info please contact volunteer@wfft.org

Another Successful Tree-Planting Event at WFFT

July 2008 The Abbot of Kao Look Chang, who proudly supports WFFT by allowing the Wildlife Rescue Centre to operate on his temple land, is a keen environmentalist. He loves to protect and restore the forests, and so he is very enthusiastic about this tree planting project. Our aim is to restore the local forests for future wildlife rehabilitation by reforesting and enriching degraded areas with local species of trees that help to attract and sustain various wildlife. The beginning of the rainy season this year has marked the first tree planting event of seedlings grown at the WFFT tree nursery from seeds collected last year from the temple forests. Photos of the event can be seen here: Click here for pictures... 

We are planting almost 12,000 trees this season and aim to quadruple production next year. This has been partly thanks to our co-operation with Plant-A-Tree-Today. PATT has provided WFFT some technical guidance and a portion of their sponsorship from UAP, which has offset some of the costs of setting up and running a forest restoration project here at the Wildlife Rescue Centre. If anyone would like to lend a hand to our forest restoration work, particularly during the planting season (July-September), then please contact volunteer@wfft.org
 

 

Protected forest area at WFFT receives more Australian support (NEW!)

July 2008 After already financing three of our macaque fields, one of our favorite Australians, Greg White, has come through for us again in sponsoring funds for the development of the protected forest and wildlife rehabilitation zone at WFFT. Almost one and a half kilometers of secure fencing encircling the forest has been erected, enabling WFFT to provide a protected habitat for Thai wildlife. The Abbot of Kao Look Chang temple is extremely happy to see his forest protected from cattle farmers grazing their cows and local villagers harvesting wood and other forest products. Now WFFT is able to release wildlife into different zones in the forest and build habitats for rehabilitation of various species. Wild pigs, mouse-deer and porcupine are already free-roaming, thanks to Greg’s support, and there is plenty of space for future rescued wildlife such as deer etc. in this 24 hectare protected forest. This is a dream come true for the Abbot, who has not seen such wildlife in this forest for decades.

So far the improvement in the general health and vitality of the forest has been dramatic, so thank you again Greg! We are also enriching the forest with trees grown on site at our tree nursery, and a nature trail is being developed here for our education programme. Nocturnal animals (civets, binturong and lorises), gibbons and stump-tailed macaques are now also living in different rehabilitation zones in the protected forest, providing safe and natural habitat for almost 50 rescued animals already.

 

Rescued Gibbons say “buongiorno” in the Rehabilitation Forest at WFFT (NEW)

August 2008 Gibbons are arboreal apes, that live in family units and we have a number of families living on eight man-made islands on the lake in front of the rescue center. We also have a number of rescued gibbons swinging in the tree canopy in our 24 hectares of “protected forest” and an ongoing project to establish more gibbon habitats there. These “tree-house” enclosures are built made-to-measure around existing trees in the forest, providing the gibbons with a natural environment. They are raised off the ground and spaced approx. 50m apart, so that each set of gibbons has their own small territory in the forest and is not stressed by any neighboring primates or passers by, enabling them to exhibit natural behavior and brachiate in the canopy.

By the end of August 2008, 18 gibbons and our Siamang, Mah-Mee, are swinging and singing in the forest thanks to this project, which was mainly funded by a generous grant from the Luigi Berlusconi Foundation in Italy. We would especially like to thank our Italian volunteer, Ely, for recommending us and helping us obtain this grant, which has made a huge and positive impact on our gibbon rehabilitation work as well as providing us with significant capacity to rescue more primates in need.

 

Stump-tailed Macaques living close to nature at WFFT

July 2008 With the latest macaque habitat (sponsored by Anouk Starrenburg from the Netherlands, as well as contributions from volunteers and the adoption scheme) we have now been able to create a truly natural experience for all the stump-tailed macaques at WFFT. This is one of the rarer of the five macaque species native to the region, yet like so many other non-human primates, these intelligent and social animals are poached from the wild as pets or tourist attractions, denied a natural existence and contact with their own kind. "Ting-Tong", after recovering from his paralysis caused by spinal stenosis (see Ting-Tong's miracle, news April 2008), is now wandering around and foraging in a massive 2000m^2 area of forest with huge trees to climb and shelter in with all his friends including "Sid", "Stinky", "Resort" and twelve other lucky stump-tailed macaques. The pictures speak for themselves. "Mink", "Joi" and "Tjieuw" are in separate large enclosures adjoining this field, stump-tailed macaques at WFFT to socialize and interact with each other.

Moving the stump-tailed macaques to this new complex has enabled us to renovate their old 1000m2 field and offer an upgrade in living conditions for a newly established group of pig-tailed macaques, including “Seb”, which many ex-volunteers may remember fondly. See Anouk's field here! 

Many thanks to Anouk for making this all possible!

Unfortunately, not all monkeys will happily socialize in the same group, so there are several macaques still awaiting upgrade to this class of enclosure, as well as many more still to be rescued. Therefore we see the need to construct at least another one macaque field within the next year. If you would like to support our work by volunteering or adopting an animal, please contact mailto:volunteer@wfft.org

Binturong enjoys the high life in the new nocturnal zone at WFFT

July 2008 Binturongs are listed as vulnerable in some parts of their range and endangered in others. Yet nowhere in the wild are they common and they are currently at risk due to habitat destruction/fragmentation and illegal poaching for the black market trades for traditional medicine, fur and exotic pets. They are considered to be a delicacy in some areas and are therefore also hunted for food. Binturongs are primarily nocturnal and move slowly through their homes in the trees to look for fruit and small prey such as birds and rodents.

Currently the only binturong resident at WFFT, "Sandee" was originally poached from the wild in Myanmar and sold in Thailand as a pet, where he was denied such natural access to the forest. Now he snoozes the day away in the tree top, basking in the sun at 6m elevation. He has plenty of space to explore and jump around in this 12m long enclosure.

The nocturnal zone inside the protected forest at WFFT is also home to Charlie & Angel (two masked palm civets), Wicky (female masked palm civet) Rod, Jane & Freddy (three common palm civets), as well as two Loris habitats. The civets also have a 3x12m run of forest, with an artificial stream passing through.

These habitats have been made possible through contributions from our volunteers and the adoption scheme, for which the animals are truly grateful. Further enclosures in this nocturnal zone will be added in the future when more funds become available. We have more civets looking for better homes and more animals to be rescued, so donations towards these animals are always welcome and do make a difference as you can see by the contented look on Sandee's face. LINK:  http://www.wfft.org/donation.htm

 

Cheeky Trio on the Move

July 2008 Anyone who has volunteered or visited WFFT over the last couple of years has left having witnessed the most extraordinary macaque they are ever likely to meet… Bandit. This one-armed, two fingered long-tailed macaque is truly a miracle and after being fostered by a blind, diabetic macaque, Ruby; Bandit has become foster-mum to subsequent orphaned babies rescued at WFFT. Two cheeky little long-tailed macaque orphans, Aithem and Wandee were living with Bandit at the time we finally were able to provide her with a habitat upgrade.

One of our larger macaque fields, sponsored by Greg White in 2007, has been upgraded with 2 new adjoining enclosures so far thanks to funds raised through our volunteer programme and adoption scheme (with hopefully more to follow). Jo, the long-tailed macaque (old sparring partner of Somchai), moved into the 1^st enclosure and has started to build alliances with his neighbors next door. The 2nd enclosure built was specially designed for the Cheeky Trio and taking Bandit’s handicap into consideration. They had brand new trees to play in and new neighbors to terrorize (sorry, socialize with) and have become yet another successful group. The future for Bandit, Aithem and Wandee looks bright. Today they have 1 more tree in their enclosure to destroy, if things go well with their integration, soon they will have a whole field full to do the same to!
 

 

Slow Loris electrocuted - Large part of Petchaburi Province without electricity for two hours

June 12th, 2008 - A small slow Loris was electrocuted on the evening of the 11th of June by climbing into a power switch center at Kaeng Krachan Lake in Petchaburi around 21:00 hours. The Slow Loris, a small nocturnal primate, received a current of 20,000 volts which blew several fuses and damaged a mayor transformer of the Electricity generating Kaeng Krachan dam putting three districts in Petchaburi out of power for over two hours.

The slow Loris survived the high current and was brought in to WFFT. The poor creature suffered burns over its whole body with one hand and one eye as the most injured parts. The Slow Loris will need intensive treatment for several weeks to survive and heal. When it returns to good health the Loris will be released back to the wild. Click here for the pictures...

 

Ka-Ka the Malayan Barking Bear

June 2008 Some villagers had poached this male sun bear cub from the forests near Laos, with the intention of selling him as a pet. They could not find a buyer quick enough, so they dumped him at Wat Klong Sai Nung , a temple near Thayang, when they were afraid of being caught by the police. At the temple, the monks hand-reared Ka-ka (which in Thai means “football”) and kept him in an enclosure with a group of dogs. Rescued by WFFT in mid-2008, he was 30kg, slightly more than one year old. He was barking like a dog whilst in quarantine, but then calmed down when he was introduced to Gallamair, a 2 year old female sun bear. Ka-ka became instant friends with Gallamair and now follows her everywhere like she is the best thing ever.

After moving Joan and Bouncer, the enclosure left empty has been upgraded with another climbing structure, a tall tower with two storeys. Ka-Ka & Gallamair are now living there and loving it. Climbing, digging, exploring everywhere. When they are a bit older, they will join the rest of the group at the Free the Bears enclosure, but for now they are happy with each other's company.

 

The day of Joe the Jackal

June 2008 Another example of wildlife that should not be kept as pets. The Asiatic Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), also known as the Oriental Jackal, is the only of the four different jackal species to be found outside Africa, but is actually more closely related to the Coyote than to the other jackals. The sub-species "Canis aureus cruesemanni" has its range through Thailand and Myanmar to east India.

"Joe" was rescued by WFFT after following a report that he was seen chained up outside gas station in Hua-Hin. Native to the local region, he had been taken from the wild as an exotic pet. Unlike their doggie canine cousins, jackals are notorious for not trusting humans and have even been known to attack and kill children. Fortunately, Joe does not have such an aggressive nature, but as an instinctive hunter, he may have a chance to be returned to the wild if a safe place can be found for him.
 

Reforestation project at WFFT !!! (NEW)

May 2008 The WFFT is after only six years of it existence, ready for some more projects besides the rescue center and the mobile wildlife clinic. We feel that we should not only protect and rehabilitate wild animals, but should also be focusing on the protection and restoration of the forest, the home of wildlife…

Simon Purser who Joined WFFT almost 18 months ago has been very busy since end of last year to set up this new project! more here...

 

Ting Tong's miracle (NEW!)

April 2008 Ever since I was born I never believed in miracles, until 2001 when I founded the rescue center where I witnessed every now and then a small or even big miracle… This time I want to tell everyone about a miracle that happened in February 2008. Now lots of volunteers that have helped out at the WFFT in the last 5 years remember Ting Tong, the sometimes a bit moody and at some times very mad Stump-tailed Macaque. Ting Tong was always a large energetic macaque that was more focused on people then on other monkeys; however he was able to get along just fine with all, under his strong body was a very gentle soul. Ting Tong was slowly getting weaker however in the last few months and we could not find what was going on with him, stressed and frustrated he pulled out lots of his hair and lost weight. Extra feeding did not help even though he was stuffing his face big time with pumpkin, monkey-cow and lots of delicious fruits and vegetables. By the beginning of February Ting tong became wobbly on his legs and within a few days lost all sensation is both legs and further up to his waist, resulting in complete paralysis. more here...

Butchered tigers, leopards seized on Thai-Lao border: navy

February 2008 BANGKOK (AFP) — Six slaughtered tigers and five leopards have been seized along with 275 live pangolins as traffickers tried to smuggle them across the Mekong River into Laos, the Thai navy said Wednesday. The animals were being loaded off trucks and onto a boat when a navy patrol discovered them late Tuesday, Lieutenant Commander Teeranan Dangpun told AFP. At least six people escaped into the forest, while others on the boat fled into Laos carrying four sacks believed to contain more animal remains, said Teeranan, who led the operation. more..

 

Loris rescued again, when will the trade stop?

Jan 2008 Within the first week of January 2008 the WFFT hotline was called several times asking for help in rescuing wild animals. Two cases that were brought to our attention concerned the hand-over of lorises (both pygmy loris and slow loris). In both cases it were lorises that were bought from Chatuchak market, one (the slow loris) was bought two years ago and the owner was unhappy with the animals as it was sleeping all day, we feel that is quite normal for a nocturnal animal. the second one (the pygmy loris) was bought as a pet as well only a few days before but was showing signs of sickness and stress. The owner did not feel the animal belonged in a house and browsed the internet to find a rehabilitation center for the little animal. more here

 

Langurs and macaques electrocuted, help!

In the first week of 2008 we were again confronted with the fate of a few langurs and one macaque. These animals were crossing from one fragmented forest to another and had to cross a road where the Provincial Electricity Authority installed power lines some years ago. Unfortunately these power lines are not insulated although this would be the standard when wildlife is near (not only to protect the animals, but also to stop the system from breaking down when animals are touching the lines). more here

 

RAID ON SAMUI GREAT SUCCESS!

In a well prepared raid by the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division of the Royal Thai Police, headed by their commander Police Major-General Boonmee Somsuk, seven white handed gibbon babies were confiscated and their owners arrested on charges of illegal wildlife possession and animal torture. Koh Samui, one of Thailand’s prime tourist destinations has seen the exploitation of many species of wildlife such as gibbons, snakes, young crocodiles, birds of prey and other protected wildlife being carried around as photo-props, where foreign tourists are offered to take pictures holding the animals for a charge of 200 to 500 Baht per person more here

 

NEW WSPA sponsors Wildlife Hospital at WFFT

August 2007 Finally we can now check up, treat and operate on wild animals in a very clean, professional and up-to-date clinic at the Wildlife rescue Center of the WFFT. Although we estimate the building of this new hospital to take up to 3 months we are now able to show you the first pictures of this very important addition to the rescue center. The treatment room and the surgery theater are already ready and in use. This hospital was a necessity as we receive more and more injured wildlife such as macaques, deer, large birds and reptiles. The old facility was just not big enough and lacked the hygiene needed for a professional run hospital. The old clinic will now be used for quarantine only. The construction of the new hospital is made possible with the generous help of the WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) that the WFFT joined only last year. Together with the WSPA we hope to be able to help more wildlife in the near future and to work towards higher standards of animal welfare within Thailand. Click here for pictures

 

Enclosure for the rescued hornbills and birds of prey

September 2007 Over the last months we have received many birds for treatment, a painted stork with a broken leg, a few owls with injuries and some birds that got stuck in traps for small wildlife… In all cases we are able to release these birds back to the wild after full recovery, however in May and June we received a Goffin’s cockatoo, some hornbills and a group of White bellied sea-eagles that were kept for several years as pets. These birds can for now not be returned to the wild and we therefore needed urgently to build an enclosure for the birds so they could fly at least a bit. The enclosure measures 22 meters by 9 meters and has a height of 7 meters. For now this rather large enclosure will be their home. We are currently looking for another facility that can take in the birds to get them ready to go back to the wild. pictures here

 

Macaque creating trouble on airport, jailed at police station!

Now this story is probably unbelievable if it was without pictures as evidence… A macaque creates trouble at the Chumporn international airport, gets arrested by police and is later released “on bail” into the deep jungle…. Read and see here more!

 

More wildlife dropped at the rescue center

July 2007 Two baby gibbons, one juvenile gibbon and a baby langur were dropped off at the rescue center on the 14th of July. This week in July was probably one of the busiest we have had in the last years with all together 16 animals coming in in one week, mostly primates, but also 4 bears. more here with pictures

 

Temple rescue in Pranburi

July 2007 Things are always busy at the Wildlife Rescue Center, and unfortunately sometimes things get even more busy as we get an emergency called in. On the 9th of July we were called to go and help a seriously ill pig-tailed macaque at a temple near Pranburi city. The macaque that was not able to sit up anymore had been in a small cage since 1994, living in a lot of garbage and its own excrements. more and pictures

 

Again a great new macaque field!

July 2007 We are very grateful towards Greg White from Australia for a very generous donation towards the construction of a new macaque filed and at the same time we are very proud to show you the finished product; probably the best enclosure for macaques in South-East Asia... here!

 

Macaque around power lines treated and relocated

June 2007 Long tailed Macaques are common around Petchaburi City and often during the first half of the year the males are on the look out for new groups to join. Problem is however that the fragmentation of forests and the ever growing human population make it impossible for some males to find a new group around and they get lost... more and pictures here

 

Ompoom, the sun bear finally climbs the trees!

June 2007 Many volunteers at the rescue center and even more people that watched the "Lyndal's Lifeline" on Animal Planet remember Ompoom the overweight sun bear that was rescued from the fish market in Ranong. More and pictures here about Ompoom.

 

Perfect, one elephant off the streets...

April 2007 Thai police is gathering information countrywide on an upcoming protest by mahouts of city elephants against the proposed ban on city dwelling of captive elephants by their keepers or mahouts. This practice that has become more and more a contentious issue, complaints from tourists and visitors from all over the world and even local people such as the citizen of Bangkok have been sent to authorities. The population of captive elephants on the streets of Bangkok and other large cities in Thailand is estimated at around 200 individuals. These animals are under constant threat of road accidents, pollution and a scorching heat that can be fatal to a large mammal such as the elephant. The city dwelling is however a financially lucrative practice, bringing in more money than the work at a tourist camp or elephants conservation facility… read here more and see pictures of Somboon an elephant that was rescued forever...

 

Ruby has gone

March 2007 Ruby, a long tailed macaque, arrived at the rescue center over 3 years ago and was immediately at arrival seen as a macaque that was very weak and sick, we thought she would not have too long to live. Later during her stay she was diagnosed being diabetic and slowly turned blind by the beginning of 2006. Daily care was needed by then for her and insulin was being administered twice a day. Although Ruby must have felt the pain of the needle so often she always allowed us to help her and kindly turned her back on us to inject the insulin so frequently. Finally in March 2007 Ruby got very sick, she was found collapsed in the morning and died the day after. Ruby was foster mother to Bandit, Cheeky and Luis and kept them together like a real mother would. If there is a monkey heaven, we are sure that Ruby is there now, stuffing her face with food like she used to do here and caring for the little ones. Thank you for giving us your love Ruby, even after all the things people did to you.

 

New project of the WFFT!

March 2007 Read here more on the Marine Education and Conservation Center....

 

Snake attacked and rescued

March 2007 A very large snake was rescued from Bangkok. The reticulated Python of over 5 meters was found in the kitchen of a family in the suburbs of Bangkok. The snake scared the people in the house and they asked neighbors to help and remove the snake. After hitting on it with metal sticks to scare it away the snake had severe wounds and the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority was called in to help out. The officials did manage to get the snake into a moving enclosure and took it to the Bangbon municipality while waiting for the WFFT rescue team to arrive with the Care for the Wild mobile wildlife clinic. When Dr Mark Jones arrived at the scene the injuries were found to be too large and deep to have the snake released immediately. The snake is currently in the care of the clinic at the rescue center and will need approximately 2 months to recover. Pictures here

 

WFFT “Radios for Rangers”

March 2007 Kaeng Krachan National Park is Thailand’s largest National park with still a thriving population of rare animals such as tigers, Gaur, Bears, Hornbills and even Crocodiles. The park is due to its’ size hard to protect against poachers and rangers have a hard time keeping an eye on people entering and leaving the park through wildlife trails. In an effort to help out with the enforcement of wildlife protection laws we found that the park was in dire need of proper communication tools. We decided to purchase new radios for the rangers and provide professional base stations to monitor the jungles of Kaeng Krachan. In March we donated the first 3 complete sets to the director of the National park and more sets will follow in the months to come. Story with Picture

 

Pai Lin, an elephant off the streets

February 2007 We have a very large new resident at Wildlife Friends of Thailand.  Pai Lin, an Asian elephant has come to live with us after spending many years on the city streets up country.  She is around 45 years old and when she arrived she was in poor physical condition, underweight, dehydrated and suffering from nasal and eye discharge caused by an upper respiratory infection.  As a result of carrying a heavy ‘seat’ with possibly up to six tourists in it, her back is deformed and a strange shape, although, thankfully, she doesn’t appear to be in any pain with it. 

When she arrived, she was seen immediately by our vet and had a thorough examination and health check.  Since her arrival, she has had a diet of good food, vitamin supplements and plenty to drink.  She is improving all the time and is loving her new life.  She has settled in well with our other three elephants and is particularly friendly with Nam Phon.   

Instead of pounding up and down busy city streets, Pai Lin now spends her days standing on natural ground of earth and grass instead of concrete or tarmac, breathing good fresh air instead of traffic fumes, eating as much as she wants with the company of other elephants and having the care of our experienced mahouts and veterinary staff.  In the late afternoons, all the elephants are walked out into the beautiful forest surrounding the centre where they spend the night foraging and eating natural foods as they would in the wild. Pai Lin is a beautiful and gentle elephant who now has a life filled with peace and quiet, a life that she truly deserves.

 

Update on the progress of our rescued bear

In early January, WFFT rescued a 10 year old Asiatic Black Bear from a temple in Korat

(see WFFT News… “The Mobile Wildlife Clinic on a (bear) rescue again”).

February 2007 We named her Joan, and she had suffered badly infected wounds around her rear end, which had become infested with maggots. After intensive treatment involving 3 anesthetics to clean and disinfect her wounds, and after 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy, Joan improved to the point where she could be moved out of quarantine and into a much larger outdoor enclosure. Although this is only a stepping stone towards her introduction into our 8,000 square meter new bear enclosure, she is now enjoying life exploring her new space which includes many trees, enrichments, and a large pool… it’s probably the largest space she’s ever seen! Her wounds are now healing well and we hope not to have to sedate her again. Seeing her walking around using her back legs well, showing an interest in her surroundings, and behaving like a bear, is a wonderful experience for all of us here. Bears can be very difficult to rehabilitate after the kind of life and sickness Joan has suffered, but Joan really seems to be relishing her new life… long may it continue! See Joan asleep in her new enclosure