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AROUND THE WORLD 2: Thai Animal Trafficking Stopped

More than 33,000 animals, including bears, orangutans, birds, and tigers have been recovered in Thailand during a nationwide crackdown on animal smuggling. Raids were conducted in private homes and zoos for the past six weeks all over the country. Thailand has become a major stop for many animal smugglers in the region.

Animal trafficking, especially of endangered species, is a very profitable business. A live orangutan, for instance, can fetch up to $12,000 on the black market. Animals, throughout the world, are often smuggled for their meat, medicinal properties, or for sheer status display. The raids began after police discovered a house in October stuffed with tiger carcasses, bear paws, and starving animals.

Independent traders are not the only suspects of trafficking animals in Thailand. Private zoos have also been accused of the crime. One private tiger zoo had kept more animals in its premises than was registered for with the government. Another, Safari World, had registered 44 orangutans but the police found 114.

This recent crackdown on wildlife smuggling is a positive step for the government. Initiated by Queen Sikrit who called for greater wildlife protection in August and followed up by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the need to protect animals in Thailand has been met by international praise. Already, the police have a network of over 70,000 informants and a hotline for tips. Traditionally, wildlife traders received a sentence of up to four years and fines up to $1,000. However, the police are now trying to use custom and money-laundering laws to sentence the smugglers for up to 10 years in prison and fines up to four times the animal's value.

--Written by Reena Vadehra

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