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30

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