BANGKOK (AP) — Two baby orangutans have been rescued from being sold in Thailand's capital Bangkok and a suspected trafficker arrested, police said.
The orangutans were seized Wednesday night and the alleged courier for the seller was arrested at a gas station, police said. The suspect was charged with illegal possession of protected wildlife and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Police said orangutans generally sell for 300,000 baht ($9,000) each.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists orangutans as critically endangered, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prohibits cross-border trade in the animals.
Orangutans can be found exclusively in the woodlands of Sumatra and Borneo; however, their natural environment is diminishing because of deforestation. growth of agricultural land , making them more susceptible to poaching. Over the last twenty years, Thailand has repatriated dozens of orangutans to Indonesia.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Interpol The global law enforcement agency estimates the yearly worth of the illegal wildlife trade between $10 billion and $20 billion.
Police handed over the two orangutans to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for care and safekeeping.
The Associated Press
