Malaysia and Thailand Winter 2008-9

Jan 2009

Not a week goes by that reports of illegally traded animals or incidents of gross abuse are reported to Edwin Wiek, the director of the Wildlife Rescue Center. The center's proximity to the Thai-Myanmar border means that Edwin hears of animals, caught in the wild in Myanmar, being transported illegally across the Thai border on their way to prime sales centers in China. Edwin follows up as best he can, petitioning the Government to lay charges, following up on resultant court cases and writing articles publicizing the abuses. Often this results in new residents for the Center. At the end of December a truck was stopped near Hua Hin, a town close to the center. Inside were discovered the bodies of six tigers, endangered animals in every Asian country. The fact that these animals are valuable ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine makes this a lucrative practice. Edwin was active ensuring that the perpetrators were charged and writing letters decrying the incident. The lead editorial in the Bangkok paper publicized backed Edwin’s concerns. At least this was a step in the direction towards protecting endangered animals.

All but three Pythons brought to the Center a few weeks ago have been released back to the wild. There were three transferred to the quarantine area of the Center. One has since died and the other two are recovering from machete wounds. The smallest, a female, has terrible large gashes on her body, but so far is doing well. The Center provides an alternative to killing pythons that live in urban areas and gives them a second chance at surviving in their natural habitat.

Emma with 5 month old baby elephant

Elephants are both revered and maltreated by the Thai people. It is legal to raise elephants as workers but it is illegal to capture elephants living in the wild. Ray and I were thrilled to ride elephants on two occasions in the past, once in northern Thailand and once in the Chitwan of Nepal. It was only during our time at the Center that we learned what the elephants endure while being trained for the tourist industry. It is easier on elephants bred in captivity, but for wild elephants it is literally torture. All six elephants currently living at the Center bear scars from beatings and restraints used during a subjugation process. Positive reinforcement is unknown when training elephants.

Several of the elephant volunteers accompanied Edwin to visit elephants confiscated by the Thai Wildlife Department. They brought milk for a baby elephant, estimated to be no more than five months old, far too young to be taken from his mother. The aim of the Center was teach the Wildlife Department how to care for the baby elephant. There are many other organizations in Thailand who want to adopt the baby so it is not likely to become a Center resident. The visit at least reinforced the goodwill of the Center.

A second elephant confiscated by the Wildlife Department is not so lucky. The current owner tried to take it across the Myanmar-Thai border in late December with ownership papers which were patently false. The owner claims he thought the elephant was raised in captivity but the evidence was that it was a wild elephant. The poor beast, an adult female about 18 years old, had at least fifty wounds on her body that had been left untreated for several months. The previous owner was probably the culprit. Edwin had hoped to return to the Center with this elephant but he returned empty handed. Even though the elephant is now receiving medical care, she may not survive. The wounds are too severe and her will to live is fading.

There was an article in the Bangkok newspaper recently quoting Edwin's request to investigate the sudden increase in Orang-utans at the Phuket Zoo. It is suspected that they were obtained illegally, perhaps smuggled from Malaysia or Myanmar.

The center did obtain new residents this week. Two gibbons were found in a cramped small cage, waiting to be sold as pets. They now have large cages in the Quarantine section and will eventually join the rest of the gibbon population. A vet in a local town alerts the Center to animals she comes across that are either abused or obtained illegally. The center now has a tiny baby macaque who is so young she must be bottle fed every two hours and kept in the room of one of the Center staff until she is old enough to be adopted by one of the other macaques.

Edwin and Cheryl, an Aussie Vet who has joined the permanent staff of the Center recently, drove to Ranong to investigate the case of an Asiatic Black Bear, confiscated by the Wildlife Department. Cheryl was able to perform surgery on two other bears during the visit, but had to leave the confiscated bear behind. The Wildlife Department wants to care for it themselves. It may eventually make the trip to the Center but not now.

And these are only the cases that have been investigated since we arrived! It is an unending battle to protect wild animals in Thailand and to educate both the Thais and tourists as to what is best for the animals.