Thailand to send back stolen orangutans to Indonesia
Joint crackdown sends strong message to traffickers as regional cooperation ramps up
Thailand is preparing to send four rescued orangutans back to Indonesia by the end of the year, marking a symbolic step in the fight against wildlife trafficking — and celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) confirmed that the orangutans were seized in two separate illegal wildlife trade busts earlier this year. Three of the great apes were discovered in Chumphon province on January 21, while two more were captured during a sting operation in Bangkok in May. Tragically, one orangutan died while in state care.
The surviving animals are now being looked after at the Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Rescue Centre in Ratchaburi province, where they are receiving rehabilitation and preparation for their long journey home.
Director of the department’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) division, Sadudee Panpakdee, said discussions between Thai and Indonesian authorities have intensified in recent months, with a renewed focus on combatting cross-border wildlife crime.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to the CITES agreement to conserve and protect wildlife. Sending the orangutans home this year symbolises our strong bilateral cooperation.”
The repatriation effort also aligns with joint security measures aimed at dismantling the regional networks involved in the illicit trade of endangered animals.
Since 2006, Thailand has returned a total of 74 orangutans to Indonesia through six coordinated operations. The largest group — 48 individuals — was flown home in November 2006.
Officials said this latest move is part of an ongoing crackdown on smugglers and illegal exotic pet traders operating within Thailand’s borders, many of whom use the country as a transit point for trafficking rare and protected species, Bangkok Post reported.
Indonesia, home to one of the world’s last remaining orangutan populations, continues to work closely with regional neighbours to repatriate animals taken from the wild.
With orangutan habitats under constant threat and illegal trafficking on the rise, conservationists are welcoming the move as a rare piece of good news in the battle to protect one of humanity’s closest relatives.
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