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DNA to decide gorillas' fate
02/11/2005 11:39 - (SA)
Eagan Williamson, Beeld
Johannesburg - The gorillas at the centre of an ownership dispute between South Africa and Cameroon will remain in the custody of the National Zoo in Pretoria pending the results of DNA tests.
JP Louw, chief director of communications at the department of environmental affairs and tourism, said a delegation of government officials from Cameroon, who visited SA for the first round of meetings on the so-called "Taiping 4" had already returned to report back to their government.
"We decided to have the DNA tests done in Germany and Britain because they are independent from South Africa. The gorillas won't just be returned to Cameroon. We want to ensure their safety and that the conditions are favourable," he said.
Louw said South Africa didn't request the gorillas to be sent here, but that Cites, the international organisation controlling the trade in threatened species, had decided that they be sent here.
This would be taken into consideration during the decision-making process.
Meanwhile, several pressure groups were unhappy about the animals being kept here. They want the animals to be sent to the Limbe wildlife centre in Cameroon.
They are the International Primate Protection league, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Last Great Ape Organisation and Limbe's wildlife centre.
- Beeld
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