WFFT requests DNA checks on confiscated animals NOW!

WFFT wants DNA checks on confiscated animals NOW!

On February 27th 2012 the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand asked in an official letter for the urgent return of 16 wild animals that were born at the WFFT wildlife rescue center before June 2006, but were however confiscated by the Department of National Parks in several raids over the month of February.

Although the DNP acknowledged that the WFFT registered these animals on June 21st 2006 in an official letter (WFFT started to spay all monkeys and gibbons that could not be released early 2005) the officials at the DNP regional office 3 neglected to follow up on the registration, as they claimed they were awaiting approval from the Bangkok head-office. WFFT understands that these processes might take a considerate amount of time, however almost 6 years of waiting now has caused us to be in a legal battle that we cannot be held responsible for.

As 16 of the 99 animals still held by the DNP are born at WFFT and have been registered almost 6 years ago the DNP has had no right to remove these animals as “illegal obtained wildlife”. The WFFT has already handed over some of the captive breed gibbons to the DNP over the last few years, as they are in the release program in the Maehongson National park, and we are more then happy to hand over more for release, but we find it unacceptable to have them confiscated as illegal wild animals instead.

The DNP in their last letter (22nd of April, 9 weeks after our first request) to our address has acknowledged now that they indeed received our letter in June 2006 they claim that they will need to find professional wildlife specialists to determine the origin of the 16 animals we are claiming back, a task they say will be hard to do. We on our side again ask them to do a full DNA check on the mothers of these animals and their offspring as this will be the easiest and fastest way to determine the truth.

These checks are long-due and should have been taking place 6 years ago instead, it is their job to follow up on the registration of wildlife by WFFT or others and the confiscations of all animals at WFFT wouldn’t have been necessary if they did do their job over the last 6 years, as a matter of fact we and more than anyone; the animals now are victims of years of neglect.

DNA checks now! to find justice for the management, staff and most of all; the animals rescued by WFFT.