 Gorillas Are Protected by CITES
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July 16, 2003 — Four baby gorillas bought by a Malaysian zoo illegally last year will be sent to South Africa's Pretoria Zoo, local media reported last week.
The gorillas, believed to have been captured in the wild and smuggled out of Nigeria, would be sent to Pretoria "as soon as possible," Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits trade in endangered species caught in the wild, approved the move, he said.
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"The Pretoria Zoo has the best means to care for the gorillas, which may not be able to survive if they return to the wild."
The controversy has tarnished Malaysia's image as a signatory to CITES, Ding said.
Investigations showed that "some parties had deliberately misled" him into signing the import permit for the animals, which contained a false declaration that the purchase was approved by CITES, he said.
"The permit was signed by me as minister. It was a false declaration which means I have also been cheated."
Investigations revealed that Taiping Zoo in northern Perak was aware the animals were illegally sourced and were not obtained from a captive breeding center as claimed, he said, adding that the zoo knew the export permit purportedly issued by the Nigerian authorities had been forged.
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Name: Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Primary Classification: Hominidae (Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans, and Humans) Location: Western Africa, from southern Nigeria to the Congo River. Habitat: Tropical rainforest. Diet: Fruit, shoots, bulbs, a little tree bark, and leaves. Size: Up to 6 ft in length and 450 lbs in weight. Description: Short, thin, black hair; hairless face; broad chest; muscular neck; prominent brow; flared nostrils; wide, large skull Cool Facts: They recognize each other by their faces and body shapes — each individual has a unique nose print. They are very intelligent and have been taught sign language; the most famous example is Koko, a 31-year-old female with a working vocabulary of over 1,000 signs. Conservation Status: Endangered Major Threats: Deforestation, hunting and trophy poaching. What Can I Do?: Visit the The Gorilla Foundation and WWF's Western Gorilla page for information on how you can help. |
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