Two Sumatran orangutans flew home from Thailand years after being captured and smuggled into the country
Two Smuggled Orangutans Returned to their Home
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | DECEMBER 17th 2020
Two Indonesian Orangutans were returned to their country on Thursday after having been smuggled out three years ago. The endangered species is in critical need of numbers, and these two are no exception – currently bound for rehabilitation to their environment.
The two Sumatran orangutans, Ung Aing and Natalee, were smuggled into Thailand three years ago when they were no more than a year old. They are now four years of age, and kept for a short while in the wildlife rescue centre in Thailand’s Ratchaburi province.
After being transported to Bangkok’s airport and flown over to Indonesia, the orangutans were said to be on their way to Jambi Province on Sumatra island to be placed into a rehabilitation centre, to be taught how to live in their natural environments and interact with others of their own species once again.
“This is the fifth repatriation of orangutans back to Indonesia since 2006,” said Prakit Vongsrivattanakul, an official at Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. He added that 69 confiscated orangutans have been sent back since 2006, and many have successfully been able to return to the wild.
Poachers often hunt the endangered species in Southeast Asia, typically capturing them alive to later be sold as pets. Luckily, they have more value alive than dead, but the crisis is still inexcusable. Ung Aing and Natalee were captured in order to be sold to a tourism business, according to the Thai police.
The two orangutans were smuggled in through Malaysia in June of 2017, along with 39 Hamilton tortoises, 12 Indian turtles and six raccoons. Thanks to a tip-off to the police, they managed to be stopped at the border where their wildlife traffickers were arrested on the spot. Such a business as wildlife trafficking is far more expansive than we typically imagine – these kinds of situations where the traffickers are caught in time are ones to celebrate.
Suraphong Chaweepak, a director at the Thai division to protect wild fauna and flora said that before being sent away, both orangutans were given COVID tests just to be cautious, with results coming back negative for the disease. The pair was also thoroughly fed with bananas and green apples, just to make sure they wouldn’t starve through the trip. They’re being treated with the utmost care and respect.
