Thai authorities seized 114 orangutans two years ago in a raid on the Safari World zoo in Bangkok's eastern outskirts.
The owner of the zoo claimed they had been bred in captivity, but DNA tests proved that 57 of them were not born in the in-house breeding program but had apparently come from outside Thailand.
The orangutans were trained to fight each other in kickboxing matches for spectators at the zoo.
The government seized the 57 animals and took them to the Khao Pratap Chang wildlife preserve, where three have since died.
Chawann insisted that Thailand had always wanted to repatriate the animals, but that deciding where to send them had proved difficult. Experts believe some of the animals were smuggled from islands shared by Malaysia and Indonesia.
"We had already made our decision but we wanted to return them through the proper channels," he said.
Orangutans are the only great ape to be found outside of Africa, and are native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and to Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
Scientists estimate that roughly 27,000 are left in the wild. They are considered endangered species and their trade is banned internationally.
Experts agree that the orangutan population has declined dramatically and that smuggling of the apes is a major problem.
Name: Orangutan (
Pongo pygmaeus)
Primary Classification: Hominidae (Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans and Humans)
Location: The islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia.
Habitat: Mature tropical rainforest.
Diet: Mainly fruits. Also other vegetation, lizards, termites, nestlings and eggs.
Size: Up to 4.5 ft in length and 175 lbs in weight.
Description: Reddish-brown in color; long, shaggy hair; very long arms; strong, grasping hands; heavy body; hand-like feet; males have large cheek pads, a hanging throat patch, a square-shaped face and a long beard and moustache.
Cool Facts: They spend almost their entire lives in treetops, males coming down occasionally to move between stands of trees. Mothers with young children build two to three nests a day — one in the evening and one or more during the day for resting and playing.
Conservation Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss.
What Can I Do?: Visit
The Orangutan Network and
Orangutan Foundation International for information on how you can help.
