The International Primate Protection League (IPPL) is urging the police to probe the Penang-based company that illegally imported four rare gorillas from Nigeria, which are currently in the Taiping Zoo.

"Obviously some Malaysians were involved in arranging this deal, including a company in Penang.

"We believe the Malaysian police and the Interpol should investigate this case and identify the culprits," said IPPL chairperson Shirley McGreal in an e-mail communique today.

According to The Star yesterday, the company now closed received RM240,000 from the Taiping Municipal Council for the animals.

It added that the four gorillas were brought into the country in January after disclosing false information on the official documents.

Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), all commercial trade involving wild-born gorillas is outlawed except in cases with a conservation agenda.

The import permit for the four gorillas fraudulently stated that they were born in captivity at Nigeria's Ibadan Zoo.

However, McGreal claimed that a Taiping Zoo member had visited Ibadan Zoo and discovered that there was only a single gorilla there, therefore rendering the possibility of breeding impossible.

Previously, Taping Zoo director Kevin Lazarus had said that the gorillas were part of an exchange programme with Ibadan Zoo. He added that Malayan tigers and sun bears will be sent to the African country in exchange for the gorillas.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the matter yesterday, Lazarus remained tightlipped saying that he would do so when things have "cooled down".

In a related development, the Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) said no animals have been sent to Nigeria from here.

'Very angry'

The department's Cites director Khairiah Mohd Shariff said the animals were not being sent due to the controversy surrounding the gorillas' transfer.

On Thursday, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding (photo) said the gorillas would be transferred to a breeding facility once the location was decided by the Cites secretariat, the international watchdog that enforces the compliance of the agreement signed by 150 countries including Malaysia and Nigeria.

Commenting on this, Khairiah said that Cites had asked them to contact the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Waza) to source for a breeding facility but the department has yet to do so.

According to her, it could easily cost more than RM100,000 to transfer the gorillas, as it would have to cover the transport, special enclosures en route and the handlers that would have to accompany the animals.

She said it is still uncertain who would foot the bill, although it could be funded by donations.

Khairiah said the department would try to draw up a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the breeding facility so that the gorillas' offspring could be sent back to Malaysia.

However, she said the Cites secretariat was "very angry" with Malaysia and did not want to see the gorillas or their offspring returned to the country.

She added that the Cites standing committee is looking into developing measures to prevent the illegal importation of animals in the future.

IPPL's McGreal also expressed her doubts about the MoU.

She said the gorillas should be sent to the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, because the animals were probably captured in that country before being sold to Malaysia via Nigeria a practice known as the 'Nigerian Connection'.

According to McGreal the Perak state where the Taiping zoo is located should pay for the expenses that would be incurred.

She stressed that the smuggled gorillas had jeopardised Malaysia's reputation, as it was viewed with "surprise and alarm" internationally since the country had a good track record in dealing with endangered species in the past.

Despite the criticism, IPPL however lauded Malaysian authorities for responding positively to the issue, saying that they were pleased with the government for taking the right decision.

'Monkeys are monkeys'

Meanwhile, the head of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)'s Malaysia unit animal conservation, Dr Dionysius Sharma, felt there was no problem with the gorillas' offsprings coming to Malaysia since they would be captive-born.

He added that the incident served as a lesson for Malaysian authorities so that they would "do their homework" before importing endangered species in the future.

Asked if having these rare gorillas would be a major commercial asset for the Taiping Zoo, he said it wouldn't since most people can't tell the difference between gorillas and monkeys.

"To most people, monkeys are monkeys," said Sharma.