Chimps at Thai Tourist Attraction

Leonie Vejjajiva of the Wildlife Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WRFT) reports that the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden near Pattaya uses baby gibbons and chimpanzees dressed in human clothing as "photo-props." Tourists pay to have their photographs taken holding a young animal.

In October 1996 Mark Tansacha, Manager of Nong Nooch, stated to Leonie that he would improve animal care and stop the use of primates as "photo-props." Leonie informed him of the Thai law which required gibbons to be registered by the end of 1992 and that the infant gibbons at Nong Nooch were clearly too young to have been born prior to the 1992 deadline, and hence were illegally held.

A month after the conversation a WRFT member went to Nong Nooch and found two chimpanzees in use as "photo-props" and two more living in small unenriched cages. Macaques were kept in dirty ramshackle cages.

A black gibbon was removed from a dirty empty cage and a chain put round his neck. Young men who apparently worked at the resort were tormenting the gibbon by kicking him in the face and head, as is done in Thai-style boxing. The young gibbon appeared terrified. When the WRFT member begged the men to stop, they just kicked harder. Other baby gibbons were chained up in trees.

Many Thai nationals are acquiring chimpanzees as pets. Leonie comments:

There is no way the chimpanzees could have entered Thailand with CITES documents...Chimpanzees are popular pets here at the moment and purchased by rich people with too much money and too little sense, and who don't care about the cruelty involved in removing them from the wild. These idiots don't think about the future and how big and dangerous these animals become, but imagine they are going to remain small and cute forever.

Recently WRFT learned that three young white-handed gibbons had died and had been replaced by a young Concolor gibbon, a non-Thai species which is, like the chimpanzee, ON PAPER fully protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of which Thailand is a member.

WRFT believes that:

* Any illegally held animals, including gibbons and chimpanzees lacking proper documents, should be confiscated from Nong Mooch Tropical Garden, and taken to a sanctuary,

* all animals, including the monkeys, should be given spacious housing and better care,

* that the use of wild animals as "photo props" which is cruel to the animals and jeopardizes the health of both humans and animals involved, should not be allowed in Thailand.

Please send letters making these requests to:

H. E. General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Prime Minister's Office
Government House
Nakom Pathom Road
Bangkok 10300, Thailand

Please send a copy of your letter to:

The Editor, Bangkok Post
136 Na Ranong Road
Klong Toey
Bangkok 10110, Thailand

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