Thai authorities have confirmed that there are no more trafficked orangutans in their care, as they sent back three Sumatran orangutans to Indonesia as part of the countries' collaborative effort to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
Repatriation For Orangutans
Nobita and Shizuka, both 7 years old, and Brian, 5 years old, were residing at a wildlife sanctuary in the western Thai province of Ratchaburi.
The orangutans were brought from the refuge to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport before being flown to Jakarta.
Before being loaded onboard the plane, Thai and Indonesian officials fed the animals bananas and dragon fruit while they were displayed inside their crates at the Bangkok airport.
According to Thai officials, Indonesia pays for the animals' transportation and health examinations.
They are sent to a rehabilitation center in Sumatra before being released back into the wild.
Rachmat Budiman, Indonesia's Ambassador to Thailand, expressed gratitude to both countries' authorities for the repatriation and expressed "mixed feelings" about it, saying he is happy the orangutans will be returned to their natural habitat but sad for the Thai caregivers who had bonded with the animals over several years.
Athapol Charoenchansa, Thailand's director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, stressed the importance of the repatriation because it demonstrates the two countries' commitment to working together to combat illegal wildlife trade.
He expressed hope that it would increase awareness about wildlife conservation in the area.
Read Also: Talking Ape? An Orangutan Named Rocky Could Mimic Human Speech
Trafficked Apes
In 2016, Nobita and Shizuka were only a few months old when they were rescued during a sting operation in Bangkok by wildlife officials, who had agreed to buy the pair online for $20,000 at the time.
The then-baby orangutans, named after characters from the popular Japanese cartoon Doraemon, were placed in a basket in the back of a cab, and images of them tightly clutching each other in the basket quickly went viral.
Brian, another male orangutan, was rescued from traffickers in 2019 and handed over to Thai wildlife officials.
Thailand has sent back 74 orangutans to Indonesia in six batches since 2006, including the three.
Ung-Ing and Natalie, two orangutans, were returned in 2020.
The global trade of orangutans is prohibited under the Convention on International Commerce in Endangered Species (CITES).
Indonesia has regulations in place to preserve endangered animals such as the orangutan, and violators risk up to five years in prison and a $7,000 fine. However, traffickers are rarely prosecuted.
According to government data from the Sumatra Region, just two people were named as suspects in orangutan trafficking in 2020.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are around 14,500 Sumatran orangutans, one of three species of giant apes, residing in Indonesia, where they are threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
The creatures are attractive targets for traffickers due to their unique red hair, mild demeanor, and tourism selfie potential.
Orangutans are listed as severely endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's authority on the state of the natural world.
Related Article: Male Orangutans Attract More Females by Having Padded Cheeks
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