Thai police have rescued 47 macaques that were being smuggled in another country for probable use in traditional Chinese medication. The macaques have been found crammed into plastic cages on the back of a pickup truck in Isaan, suffering from overcrowding and neglect.
The disturbing scene was uncovered by the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division and nationwide park officers, who acted on an ongoing investigation into wildlife smuggling. The macaques have been in small net luggage and one was sick, reported Bangkok Post.
The two men responsible for transporting the macaques, 37 yr outdated Kitsana Srimoros and 43 yr previous Kritsda Muensri, were arrested and charged with unlawful possession and trading of protected wildlife.
The men claimed they had been unaware that the macaques were protected and that they have been breaking the legislation. Kitsana claimed that he was paid 17,000 baht to select up the cages from Khao Takhrong National Park and deliver them near the Laos border in Nong Khai province. He mentioned the one that hired him was a stranger.
Macaques are protected animals underneath the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, and their smuggling is a critical crime.
Peersasak Paksasuay, director of the natural resource conservation and protection, said that national park officials were working with police in Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum and Buriram provinces to stop wildlife smuggling.
The macaques had been destined for China, the place they have been intended for use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a shocking reminder of the brutal and sometimes illegal wildlife commerce, and the cruel therapy that many animals endure by the hands of people.
The illegal selling of macaques is common practice in Thailand. Last yr, a Thai girl was arrested in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, for the protected animals through Facebook.
Extra pretended to be excited about buying a macaque so they could arrest the girl. One macaque, a basket and a bottle of milk were seized by police. The woman was buying macaques and reselling them for a higher worth online, with no licence to own wild animals.
Thankfully, these macaques have been rescued and shall be taken to a wildlife centre within the Khon San district of Chaiyaphum. It’s a small victory within the fight towards wildlife trafficking, but it’s additionally a reminder that there’s nonetheless an extended way to go in defending animals from human greed and exploitation..