RESCUED WILD ANIMALS ACT AS POLITICAL PAWNS FOR THAI FORESTRY AUTHORITIES?

The Thai Department of National Parks (DNP) appeared to be using wild animals as political pawns when it raided the Wildlife Friends of Thailand rescue center in Petchaburi on the eve of a major political meeting with high ranking Indonesian officials. The centre, which offers refuge to over 150 animals, was stormed on the afternoon of the 27^th July by over 20 DNP officials who confiscated fourteen animals. This occurred less than 24 hours before Edwin Wiek, the center’s founder, was due to attend a meeting between visiting Indonesian officials and the Thai Forestry Director-General regarding the repatriation of over 100 orangutans that are currently being illegally held in Thailand at various places. Wiek was arrested and handed over to police on charges of keeping “illegal” wildlife. All animals taken were brought in by the Thai Animal Guardians Association, an animal rescue organization in Bangkok, and some of them were under medical treatment for various diseases.

One month before this raid some 20 officials of the Department of National parks raided the center armed with machine guns. They did not have a search warrant and were sent off by the local police. Wiek who complained with the DNP director-General was assured that the harassments would be stopped from then on. Wiek has been actively lobbying for the confiscation, repatriation, and release back to the wild of the orangutans for over ten months and the issue has caused increasingly large amounts of domestic press interest and international attention.  It seems that the price the authorities are asking for this unwanted attention is the happiness and comfort of rescued wild animals. The Chief of the DNP's Wildlife Conservation Office is said to be under a lot of pressure due to the orangutan case as his department has allowed the illegal import of orangutans to go on for several years.

The centre has a history of working closely with the Department of National parks, having previously handed over a large number of animals after rescue to the authorities when appropriate enclosures or breeding programs became available.  The violent and aggressive approach taken today by the Department of National parks staff, which saw a number of animals injured as they were captured and saw family groups torn apart, threatens the working relationship which has been built over the last three years since the centre was first established on temple grounds at Kao Look Chang in Petchaburi province.

Thai, American, European and Australian animal lovers, who help as volunteers at the centre, looked on in horror as animals were baited and physically wrestled to the ground with steel cable nooses, before being stuck in tiny cages and loaded onto the back of a truck to be taken to a holding bay. Cages were stacked precariously on top of each other allowing monkeys to fight through the bars, resulting in several severe injuries. Baby macaques, only a few months old, were situated right next to a large sun bear who was severely stressed and throwing himself from side to side; the babies were obviously terrified. Several of the volunteers sat in front of the trucks refusing to allow the animals to leave the premises before being physically removed by the local police.  Cathy Case, a professional wildlife rehabilitator from California USA said: “In 25 years of wildlife rehabilitation I have never seen such callous disregard for the welfare of animals”

Edwin Wiek has refused to be intimidated by the authorities’ show of power and commented: “I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 15 years and whilst I am not surprised by these tactics I am disgusted that an international government would use animals to communicate political messages.  It only makes me more determined to not only get these animals back for further treatment, but to repatriate the illegally obtained orangutans currently held in Thailand and to go on fighting to ensure animals have a safe and healthy refuge in Thailand in the future.”

Monkey World, the well respected international primate rescue centre, the International Primate Protection League and Dr Willie Smits, Indonesia’s leading orangutan expert, have all condemned the authorities’ actions. Over 2000 letters were received by the minister of Natural Resources and Environment from animal lovers worldwide demanding an explanation about the brutal and unnecessary action.. The Commander of the Thai Forestry Police, Major-General Swake Pinsinchai, also received around 2200 letters congratulating him with his good work over the last year, and asking him to help mediate the return of the animals to the rescue center to receive further treatment.

Assamese macaque almost suffocates as DNP officials

brutally wrestle him to the ground with excessive force.

12 Monkeys and 2 bears stacked precariously

on top of each other all on just one truck.