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Beginning in 2007, a large number of chimpanzees were ex-
ported from Guinea to China under valid CITES permits that
declared the animals to be captive-bred. A CITES mission to
Guinea in 2011 found that 69 chimpanzees had left the country
in 2010 alone, all destined for Chinese zoos or safari parks that
were quick to parade their acquisitions before the media as
'imported’ from Guinea. Investigations led by NGOs and private
individuals have revealed that as many as 138 chimpanzees and
10 gorillas have been exported via travel routes established by
Chinese development companies. No captive breeding facility
exists in Guinea and investigators suspect that the apes were
taken from Congo, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, or other
neighbouring countries, in addition to Guinea.
On June 30, 2009, Malaysian wildlife authorities raided an
ostrich breeding farm in Selangor and confiscated three
infant orangutans that had been smuggled onto the main-
land – including two that were being kept at the Taiping Zoo.
Although records suggest that five orangutans were initially
smuggled, there was no evidence of the remaining two. Taip-
ing Zoo officials, meanwhile, insisted that ’anonymous people’
had donated the orangutans.
On October 9, 2012, an infant chimpanzee offered for sale
was confiscated in the Congolese port of Brazzaville. Although
the dealer fled, wildlife law enforcement officers were able
to arrest the boat’s captain and a member of his crew for
transporting illegal cargo, an offence under Congolese law.
This led to the naming and arrest of the trafficker as well.
The owner of the boat tried to corrupt the due legal process
by threatening those involved in the arrest and claiming con-
nections to the Congolese president, but the suspects remain
under arrest and await trial. The chimpanzee, who suffered
serious injuries as a result of his ordeal, nearly died from
tetanus but was taken to a sanctuary in Pointe-Noire, Congo,
where he recovered.
Chimpanzees to China
Orangutans and Ostriches
Rescue and Prosecution
2009
2012
2010