The Wildlife Friends of Thailand Rescue Center

by Shirley McGreal, IPPL Chairwoman
December 2004

Distressed Edwin says good-bye to stumptail macaque

During the CITES conferences, there is always a much-needed two-day rest in the middle. Dianne, Louis, and I planned a trip to Highland Farm, the IPPL-supported gibbon sanctuary up on Thailand’s border with Burma and close to the town of Mae Sot. We were really looking forward to meeting Pharanee Deters and her charges.

Thai Airways does not fly to Mae Sot. The only airline serving Mae Sot is named Phuket Air. We booked tickets (less than $100 each). Then, the day before our flight, we learned that the airline had cancelled all its flights to Mae Sot. So we made hurried plans for a substitute trip.

Edwin Wiek, Director of Wildlife Friends of Thailand, was attending the CITES conference and kindly offered to show us around his sanctuary, which is located about 180 miles south of Bangkok near the town of Petchaburi.

On 27 July 2004 Wildlife Friends had been raided by Thai Forestry officials who confiscated 12 macaque monkeys and two young bears. The reason for the raid is still not clear to IPPL. While at the sanctuary, Dianne, Louis, and I viewed photos and video of the confiscation activities, and we were shocked to see photos of terrified monkeys being pushed around with long sticks and caught with nooses around their necks.

We also read a statement from three volunteers from the United States who had observed the "raid." One of these young women had even stood in front of the truck hauling the animals off. On 28 July 2004, they informed Darryl Johnson, the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand that

these animals were captured by Thai officials using bamboo poles to jab them and capture nooses with steel cables. There were approximately 25 men in "official" capacity taking part in the removal of twelve macaques and two bears. A number of the animals were injured and photographs of their injuries have been taken.

One volunteer commented,

[I] was outraged at the extreme and unnecessary force used to capture otherwise content animals. I witnessed the severe stress of all the animals as they were being forced into inadequate and very small cages, the unprofessional manner in which the forestry officials conducted themselves.

Thai forestry officials drag protestor blocking truck away

Thai officials claimed that there were paperwork violations in regard to the center’s registration of the animals in its care. However, even if there had been some technical justification for the raid, there is no excuse for such cruel and abusive treatment of animals.

Although the case is not resolved, Thai authorities have denied that the reason for the raid was in reprisal for Wiek and his organization fighting to get over 100 orangutans amassed by Safari World, a theme park near Bangkok, sent back to Indonesia for rehabilitation as requested by the Government of Indonesia. The Thai Government has not yet confiscated any of the orangutans. DNA tests are being conducted at Kasetsart University to determine if any of the young orangutans were captive-born at Safari World as claimed by the company’s management.

With the CITES conference in Bangkok over, it is likely that Thai wildlife authorities hope that the case of the Safari World orangutans and Thailand’s long-time laxity in enforcing its wildlife laws will be forgotten.

Conditions at the Wildlife Friends facility were excellent. The sanctuary is close to a lake and there are three large islands on the lake where gibbons have been released and live semi-free. One of these families has an active baby. Other gibbons, including a blind gibbon, are housed on the sanctuary grounds, as are many macaques rescued from abusive situations. Plans are under way to fund more islands.

IPPL thanks Edwin Wiek, Amy Corrigan, Noy, and everyone at Wildlife Friends for their kindness and hospitality.