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  • From: gregory nahas <lettherebemonkeys AT yahoo.com>
  • To: monkeywire <monkeywire AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [monkeywire] Thai Zoo Halts Orangutan Boxing Matches
  • Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 08:03:50 -0700 (PDT)

Thai Zoo Halts Orangutan Boxing Matches

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=817&ncid=757&e=10&u=/ap/20040804/ap_on_fe_st/boxing_orangutans

BANGKOK, Thailand - A Thai zoo has been forced to halt
orangutan boxing matches as police investigate
allegations that the animals were illegally smuggled
from Indonesia, a spokeswoman and police said
Wednesday.

Police have been investigating the Safari World animal
park near Bangkok since November after receiving
complaints that it was keeping protected species
without a permit.

Authorities ordered the zoo to keep the orangutans
confined while a probe was being conducted. Some of
the zoo's 115 orangutans have been trained to perform
traditional Thai kickboxing onstage for tourists.

The zoo, however, continued to hold the bouts until
earlier this week when it received a police warning.

"The unique daily show of orangutan boxing is over," a
zoo spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. "We
stopped since Sunday after we received the letter from
police."

Police said they were investigating the origins of the
animals at the urging of Indonesian officials, who
claimed last week that the orangutans were smuggled
into Thailand from Indonesia.

No arrests have been made. The maximum penalty for
trafficking in protected species is four years in
prison and a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,000).

Orangutans are endangered according to the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora, and the case has been an
embarrassment for Thailand as it prepares to host the
13th CITES Meeting Oct. 2-14.




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  • [monkeywire] Thai Zoo Halts Orangutan Boxing Matches, gregory nahas, 08/04/2004

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