Bangkok--12 Oct--FREELAND Foundation
FREELAND appeals for consumer responsibility to end illegal exotic pet trade
Thailand’s Wildlife Crime Task Force arrested a foreign national attempting to smuggle 218 critically endangered Radiated and Ploughshare tortoises from Madagascar into Bangkok last night.
The Royal Thai Customs Investigation and Suppression Bureau and CITES Management Authority of Thailand arrested Mr. Basoiry Djamaldine, a Madagascan national, at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on October 10, 2010, after inspecting his baggage. Djamaldine was attempting to smuggle the protected tortoises in two large suitcases.
The tortoises were confiscated, with surviving animals relocated to the Department of National Park’s Bang Phra Wildlife Rescue Center in Chonburi Province. The total black market value of the seized wildlife is estimated by Thai authorities at around $40,000.
This latest interdiction at Suvarnabhumi Airport comes just 12 days after the arrest of a Pakistani man and seizure of 1,140 rare star tortoises, which arrived on a Thai Airways flight from South Asia. It is the sixth arrest in the past seven weeks, as Thailand’s Wildlife Crime Task Force continues to crack down on foreign and local exotic animal smugglers and traders in a concerted effort to break international criminal syndicates using Thailand for their highly profitable, illicit and environmentally destructive trade.
“We commend Thai authorities and supporting NGOs on their continuing efforts to stamp out illegal wildlife trade. FREELAND is training authorities to detect and stop illegal trade in endangered species, but we’re also calling on everyone, including legislators and consumers, to take responsibility for protecting our planet’s biodiversity. Consumer demand is the reason these tortoises have been smuggled more than 6,840km from Madagascar to Bangkok. If people don’t stop buying endangered animals as pets, many will be lost forever,” said FREELAND spokeswoman Bussara Tirakalyanapan.
With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), FREELAND has launched airport and urban awareness campaigns in Bangkok to increase awareness and vigilance among all sections of society to stop illegal wildlife trade. Reaching almost 100,000 commuters daily during the past three months, FREELAND’s “Piece of Responsibility” campaign on Bangkok’s metro rail system highlights the role of consumers and the destructive impacts of poaching. It encourages people not to buy endangered species and to report wildlife crime. Long running banner, billboard and multimedia campaigns at Suvarnabhumi Airport also convey these messages to millions of travelers and ensure Customs and airport staff remain on the look out for protected species.
Madagascar’s Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) and Ploughshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) are highly sought after by pet traders and collectors, who will pay thousands of dollars for a single tortoise. Both are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), prohibiting their international commercial trade. Poaching is still occurring at unsustainable rates. These and many other unique and important species will be lost forever if the illegal wildlife trade continues.
For more information and high-resolution photographs, contact FREELAND Communications Director Pornvadee Piyakhun on +66 2 204-2719 or +66 8 1859-8629, or email
[email protected]
FREELAND Foundation is an international organization dedicated to ending the illegal wildlife trade, conserving natural habitats and protecting human rights. FREELAND works throughout Asia, raising public awareness and building local capacity to protect critical ecosystems, wildlife and human rights. FREELAND is the lead implementing partner of the U.S. Support Program for the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), a program that provides investigative assistance, training and other capacity building support to Southeast Asian authorities tasked with stopping illegal wildlife trade — a major threat to biodiversity. For more information visit www.freeland.org