New stir around Thailand’s last captive gorilla


Thailand’s only gorilla, a female named “Bua Noi” or “Little Lotus”, on March 19, 2023. MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP

The fate of Thailand’s last captive gorilla, on display in a Bangkok shopping mall for the past 30 years, continues to spark controversy in the kingdom, where the animal cause clashes with tourism interests.

Free Bua Noi!“: graffiti on the walls of the building which houses the Pata zoo on the 6th and 7th floors, brought back bad memories to the managers of the contested site at the beginning of March, who offered a reward of around 2,700 euros for information leading to the culprit.

“Extreme psychological distress”

Animal rights activists, including the famous American singer Cher in 2020, have been campaigning for years to “bua noi» («Little Lotusin Thai), who lives without the possibility of seeing the light of day. Aged over thirty years – a gorilla can live up to 50 years in captivity – she is the last representative of her species visible in the kingdom, where it does not exist in the wild.

Critics of the zoo point to its conditions of captivity, symbolic of a country where the animal cause can be sacrificed to attract tourists, fond of spending time with exotic species. The pet “suffers from extreme psychological distress“, denounced the Peta animal rights association. “She needs to be with her loved ones, or at least out in the open with the ability to see things, to smell nature, to see birds flying.Edwin Wiek, founder of the environmental group Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, told AFP.

Sale Rumors

The authorities have passed new laws to protect native species, but these do not necessarily apply to private structures like the Pata Zoo. The zoo has applied for a renewal of its operating license, said Padej Laithong, director of the wildlife conservation authority.

But for the manager, the concerns are mainly about fire safety standards, compliance with which is considered lax and has been the cause of many tragedies in Southeast Asia in recent years. “All of these details must be settled before the license is renewed, suspended or revoked“, he assured.

On weekends, families continue to visit Pata Zoo, where “bua noishares the poster with an orangutan, parrots and goats. The management of the site, which did not respond to calls from AFP, denounced in a press release attacks from abroad. “No citizen of any country has attacked their country on the subject of gorillas, except in Thailand“, she wrote in response to the incident of the graffiti, ensuring that the gorilla was well treated, and that it cost more than what it brought.

The activists told them that a cage was not suitable for a gorilla, a social animal that lives in groups in the wild. The zoo had denied rumors of the sale of the primate in 2022.


“data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >



Source link -94