There is a lack of effective enforcement to prevent the smuggling of endangered species and this was evident in the recent controversial transfer of four rare Nigerian gorillas to a Malaysian zoo, said environment organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) today.
"There is not enough policing done by the exporting country or the importing country," said SAM president S M Mohd Idris in an e-mail communique to malaysiakini .
He reiterated the call for a full investigation into the transfer of the four baby gorillas to the Taiping Zoo in Perak early this year.
However, the zoo has denied the allegation that the acquisition of the gorillas were illegal, saying it was part of an animal exchange programme.
Its director, Dr Kevin Lazarus, said the zoo would provide tigers and sun bears to Nigeria's University of Ibadan Zoological Garden in return for the gorillas.
Mohd Idris lamented that the checking done by the importing country is insufficient.
"When the certificates allowing the import appear to be in order, the animals are cleared for entry," he said, referring to the transfer of four baby gorillas.
"The Malaysian CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) unit apparently gave the approval on seeing that the documents stated that the animals were captive bred," he added.
The rare lowland gorillas are listed as an endangered species by CITES — commercial trade of these animals is forbidden while exchange is permitted only for animals bred in captivity.
Claim disputed
Although the documents issued by the Nigerian CITES said the gorillas exported to Malaysia were captive-bred, the US-based International Primates Protection League (IPPL) disputed this claim.
IPPL claimed that Nigeria does not have lowland gorillas bred in captivity.
Meanwhile, Mohd Idris said the controversial transfer highlighted the problem of illegal trading in Africa's rich but dwindling protected fauna.
The SAM president said wildlife trafficking is as shadowy and as profitable as dealing with drugs.
In view of this, he added, CITES must formulate a powerful enforcement mechanism.
However, he noted that the international watchdog does not have enforcement units to monitor wildlife trade.
"For as long as this situation continues, smugglers will profit by exploiting both their victims and the worldwide system that cannot yet stop them," he stressed.
Poor conditions
The SAM president also expressed concern over the intended transfer of several Malaysian animals to the African country.
"On the so-called exchange programme, the (Taiping) zoo may be happy to be rid of their surplus tigers, sun bears and other animals but SAM's concern is whether the zoos in Nigeria are poorly run and sub-standard.
"If that is the case, the lives and well-being of the animals will be threatened by isolation and social deprivation, unsuitable climates, poor diets, inept handling and locking up in cages that confer little benefit on their occupants," he said.
In a related development, Malaysian Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) acting director for enforcement and legislation Khairiah Mohd Shariff, when contacted, confirmed that the documents for the transfer of the gorillas were in order.
It is learnt that the Taiping Zoo has yet to send the Malaysian tigers and sun bears to Nigeria.
