The “Taiping Four” Gorillas Remain in South Africa
April 2007
Despite international campaigns to have four gorillas who were smuggled as youngsters from Cameroon via Nigeria to Malaysia’s Taiping Zoo returned to their homeland in Cameroon, the animals remain at Pretoria Zoo in South Africa. IPPL exposed the gang who smuggled the animals back in January 2002 and named the gorillas the “Taiping Four.” South Africa was part of the animals’ original illegal itinerary, but whenMalaysia was compelled to give up the smuggled primates, a decision was made to send the animals to the South African zoo instead of to a sanctuary in a gorilla habitat country.
Negotiations between South Africa and Cameroon to transfer the gorillas to Limbe Wildlife Centre (LWC) in Cameroon went on for many months and, as of last December, seemed to have finally succeeded. In early December
2006 the LWC’s veterinary director flew to South Africa to prepare the gorillas for shipment.
Then the South African wildlife authorities suddenly concocted a pretext to delay the planned departure, claiming to be in possession of a letter from the government of Malaysia stating it had a problem with the transfer. According to the South Africans, the purported letter from Malaysia had been received in October 2006, and it requested that the South African government provide Malaysia with an assurance that it would not ask for compensation from the Government of Malaysia for the costs incurred by the Republic of South Africa in looking after the Taiping Four! Only after receiving
such a letter would the Malaysian Cabinet meet to consider the gorillas’ future.
In fact, the gorilla display at the zoo has attracted huge crowds, and IPPL has no doubt that this story was concocted with collusion on both sides to sabotage plans to transfer the gorillas to Cameroon. Unfortunately,
every day the four gorillas are growing bigger, and it will become more difficult and more expensive to transportthem to a new home.
It appears that the nations who criminally colluded in the smuggling incident are prevailing. In addition, Cameroon has been shamelessly robbed of all the mothers and protective adults who were killed to bring these babies into captivity.
Shame on Malaysia and South Africa!
