Milo the orangutan is gone!

19 February 2016
Primates

UPDATE FRIDAY 19thof February 2016

MILO IS GONE! We are now “Searching Milo”!

Yesterday the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) of the Royal Thai Police and Department of National Parks (DNP) agreed to investigate the case of Milo, agreeing to raid the zoo this morning. It was found by the regional wildlife office of the DNP that Milo was probably illegally kept at the Phuket Zoo as there was no orangutan legally registered at this location.

Milo is missing!Here is the evidence! Phuket Zoo spokesman says they have released the illegally kept orang utan into the the protect jungle of “Khao Prathaew Non-hunting area”, which is a crime under Thai law (releasing wildlife without a permit into a wildlife protected area) . He further confesses that the zoo kept Milo against the law, without any permit! Please see the 2 minute video and share the story! For more news and updates visit www.facebook.com/WildlifeFriendsFoundation/orwww.facebook.com/Save-Milo-125452764504959/

Posted by Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand on Friday, February 19, 2016

This morning police officers entered the zoo, but DNP officials failed to show up. After entering the zoo and visiting the living quarters of Milo, it was found that she had been removed. All her photos with tourists were also removed from the zoo and even were found deleted from the Phuket zoo website. Vicki Kiely, creator of this petition, was personally present at the zoo on the moment of the police check today.

Edwin Wiek of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand was promised yesterday by authorities in Bangkok that legal action would be taken and Milo confiscated if she was found to be illegally kept at the zoo. He was assured that Milo was still on zoo grounds yesterday morning. The owner of the zoo told the group of police and witnesses that he had released Milo into the Khao Phrateaw Non-hunting area, a small patch of rainforest on Phuket island. He further claimed that is were he found her 2 years ago. Milo is about 13 years old. Unnecessary to say that we do not believe this story.

The case of Milo is not the first of illegally smuggled and exploited orangutans on Phuket. Several years ago 12 orangutans were found in another sub-standard zoo on the island in 2008, and after many months of campaigning the orangutans disappeared only to be found in cages on the highway between Phuket and Phangnga province in February 2009. These orangutans have been flown back to their home on Borneo, Indonesia only a few months ago. The owners were never charged with illegal possession or trade in endangered wildlife. Vicki is visiting some locations where Milo might have been taken to, but so far has been unable to locate her. We are now doing all we can to locate and rescue Milo!

Update soon… – See

more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/save-milo-online-petition-for-orangutan-at-phuket-zoo-sparks-probe-56275.php

You can still help and sign the petition here:SIGN THE PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG