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Malaysia defends its gorillas
28/04/2002 16:13 - (SA)
Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian zoo has defended its acquisition of four rare baby gorillas from Nigeria, saying the new arrivals were intended to create conservation awareness in the country.
"We are sincere in what we did. We want to create conservation
awareness and educate the public," said Kevin Lazarus, director of Taiping Zoo in northern Perak state.
The International Primates Protection League (IPPL) has called
for an inquiry into the transfer in January of the four gorillas,
now in quarantine in Malaysia.
IPPL chairwoman Shirley McGreal said the trade was unjustifiable, particularly in a country where the gorilla population was under threat.
Lazarus said the gorillas were obtained through a zoo exchange
programme, and added: "We did it with proper documents."
He said Malaysia soon would be be sending tigers, Malayan sun
bears and other animals to a Nigerian zoo in exchange for the
gorillas.
Asked if the zoo would return the gorillas to Nigeria, he said: "We will let it be as it is."
Gorilla trade outlawed by Cites
The baby gorillas - one male and three females - are adapting
well to the new environment, said Lazarus.
Nigeria and Malaysia are signatories of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), which bans the
trade in highly endangered animals.
Any trade in wild-born gorillas is outlawed under the
convention.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country in human terms, has the third highest number of primate species and sub-species on the continent.
It has a population of between 200 and 250 rare western lowland gorillas living in tropical rainforest in southeastern Nigeria, but none in captivity. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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