eBay Auctions

April 2001

The auction web site eBay is a popular web site around the world.

Thanks to the vigilance of Dr. Benjamin Victor, IPPL's attention was drawn to advertisements for artifacts made from threatened and endangered species being regularly offered for sale on eBay, despite guidelines on the subject being published on the eBay web site.

In November 2000 a "Rare Big Borneo Orang Utan Skull Kalimantan" was offered for sale (see photo this page). Bidding closed at US $199.

Orangutan skull offered for sale

The item description stated:
This is a very rare big Orangutan skull from Kalimantan Borneo. The Dayak of Borneo were ruthless head-hunters until head-taking was outlawed in the latter half of the century. This orangutan skull is the product of such head-taking practice which the Dayak believe will give them spiritual power of some sort.

The skull is believed to have been used by the Dayak shaman who made it into an amulet to ward off evil spirit, it is decorated with a tuft of hair on the side, 3 inch "medicine bottles," beads, nuts, etc. Most of the teeth are still intact. The piece is 9" by 6" by 5" in size, authenticity guaranteed.

The seller was Si Pang Chien, a resident of Kuching, Sarawak.

Importation of the skull to most countries would be illegal as orangutans are fully protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the laws of most nations.

Although the seller claimed that the skull was an antique, it is of course possible to make fresh skulls look old.

In January 2001 eBay offered for sale a "unique carved shaman orangutan skull from Borneo." Another carved orangutan skull brought $750.

Benjamin Victor, MD, a California biologist, has been checking eBay regularly and reporting questionable offers to wildlife authorities of countries of origin and destination. He reports that eBay is uncooperative and that the law enforcement officials he has contacted have not even answered his messages.

In February 2001 he informed IPPL that wildlife artifacts of Bornean origin, including orangutans and other species, are offered for sale by eBay on an almost daily basis.

In the past the e-mail addresses of buyers and sellers appeared on the eBay web site and Dr. Victor attempted to educate the parties. One buyer said she thought she was buying a "tribal artifact" and had no idea this could be a problem.

The offers continued.

On 20 February a monkey coat was offered for sale. It looked like it was made from skins taken from an all-black colobus monkey species. The seller, a Chicago antique store called "Lost Eras" reported that the coat was:
Extremely rare!!! Mint Condition!!! I didn't know these really existed. c. 1940-50. Knee length, semi-tailored, styled with moderately padded shoulders for a medium size male most likely. This monkey really made someone mad!

The world's leading primate taxonomist, Dr. Colin Groves, identified the coat as probably made from the skins of Geoffroy's colobus.

Unfortunately the e-Bay company is uncooperative. The company sent a message to a person protesting the colobus coat sale, claiming that it could not remove items based on reports from third parties, because the company had no way to verify claims of illegality.

PLEASE PROTEST TO eBAY IPPL is concerned that the e-Bay auction web site offers items such as orangutan skulls and colobus monkey coats for sale. We suggest you avoid the site until the company stops the sale of wildlife products. Please address your comments to: The President, eBay, Inc. 2416 Hamilton Avenue San Jose, CA 95125 USA Fax: 408-558-7468 Since eBay is a US-based company, please request the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which has not answered Dr. Victor's messages, to monitor wildlife sales through the eBay web site and investigate suspicious transactions. Also, if you find any dubious offers, contact both IPPL and USFWS. Kevin Adams, Director Division of Law Enforcement, US Fish and Wildlife Service PO Box 3247 Arlington, VA 22203-3247 USA