Thailand sends 3 orangutans rescued from illicit wildlife trade back to Indonesia

Thai & Indonesian officials repatriate 3 trafficked Sumatran orangutans to Indonesia, raising awareness of wildlife conservation.

Three trafficked Sumatran orangutans were sent back from Thailand to Indonesia on December 21 as part of a joint effort between the countries to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

Nobita and Shizuka, both 7 years old and Brian, 5 years old, had been living at a wildlife sanctuary in the western Thai province of Ratchaburi. After the repatriation, there are no more trafficked orangutans currently under the care of Thai authorities, officials said.

Rachmat Budiman, Indonesia's Ambassador to Thailand, thanked the authorities in both countries for the repatriation and said he has “mixed feelings” about it: happy the orangutans will be back in their natural habitat but sad for the Thai caretakers who had bonded with the animals over several years.

The orangutans were transported from the sanctuary to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport before being put on a plane to Jakarta. Thai officials said Indonesia covers the cost of transportation and the animals’ health examinations.

They will be sent to a rehabilitation centre in Sumatra before being released into their natural habitat, Mr. Rachtmat said.

The repatriation is "important” because it shows the two countries' commitment to collaborate in the fight against the illicit wildlife trade, said Athapol Charoenchansa, Thailand’s director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. He said he hoped it would raise awareness about wildlife conservation in the region.