AFP - Tuesday, June 30
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - Malaysian wildlife authorities have
rescued three baby orangutans believed to have been smuggled into
the country, in raids on a zoo and an ostrich breeder, a report has
said.
The three young apes were among a smuggled group of five, and a
search is under way for the remaining two, Department of Wildlife
and National Parks deputy chief Misliah Mohamad Basir told the Star
newspaper.
One of the orangutans was discovered in a raid on the ostrich
breeder in central Selangor state, who then revealed that the other
two were being kept at the Taiping Zoo in Malaysia's north.
"All orangutans at the zoo are microchipped but these specimens
were without microchips, hence we are able to ascertain that they
are of dubious origin," Misliah reportedly said.
Local laws require a special permit to keep orangutans -- native
to Malaysia's eastern states on Borneo island -- which are under
threat of extinction because of poaching and habitat
destruction.
The report said that DNA samples of the rescued apes were taken
to determine their origin. They are being housed at a shelter and
are said to be healthy.
The government department and zoo officials could not
immediately be reached for comment.
Wildlife officials have said that trafficking of wildlife has
hit alarming levels in Malaysia.
Experts say there are about 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans left in
the wild, 80 percent of them in neighbouring Indonesia and the rest
in Malaysian's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.
