28. July 2005 - Nairobi / Kenya / East-Africa

Please find below a Press Release from Nairobi, where Kenyan and international groups protested yesterday and today against a deal, which involves the capture of wild animals from Kenya and their transport into the Chiang Mai Night Zoo in Thailand. The protest coincided with a Thai trade and export promotion and left those, who are involved in the shady wildlife deal, speechless and ashamed. While even the Thai Senators, who recently visited Kenya on a fact finding mission requested their own Prime Minister to abstain from the ill designed project, certain circles in Kenya and Thailand have not yet come clear and clean.


PRESS RELEASE (pictures and text free for publication)

see large pics at http://www.ecoterra.de/sites/actions-site-1.htm

Leaders of many Kenyan organizations protest in front of the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi against
a deal whereby wildlife species shall be captured from the wild and brought into a night zoo in Thailand
(28.07.2005)

Night Vigil in protest against sending wildlife to Thailand in front of Hotel Intercontinental in
Nairobi, where Thai business people made deals in an export promotion exercise behind
closed doors. (27.07.2005)
 

COALITION AGAINST THE EXPORT OF WILDLIFE TO THAILAND

P.O. Box 27689
00506 Nairobi, Kenya
Phone/Fax: 606 479
Mobile: 0722-824038

 
PRESS STATEMENT
 
 
NO KENYAN WILDLIFE FOR THAILAND ZOO.
 
The Kenya and international coalition against the export of wildlife to Thailand, thousands of concerned Kenyans and NGOs around the world strongly oppose the Kenya government’s intention to export 300 of Kenya’s free-ranging wild animals to Chiang Mai Night Safari zoo in Thailand.  We believe Kenya’s wildlife should remain in the wild in Kenya for the benefit of all Kenyans. They are part of our magnificent national heritage. Outlined below are the reasons behind our concerns:
 

• While Thailand was nearly kicked out of the CITES Convention, Kenya has achieved international recognition and respect for its conservation policies that have directly led to an increase in wildlife based tourism. This move to export wild animals threatens to negate Kenya’s unique position and could lead to a damaging decline in tourist numbers.
• Kenya has always guarded against the exportation of its flora and fauna. By exporting these 300 animals, Kenya will be supporting  bio-piracy which it has always stood against. That would be a dangerous  precedent.
• Kenya’s wild animals have adapted to our local environment over millennia. There are very real dangers in taking them to an alien environment where they will be susceptible to potentially fatal diseases (Zoo tigers in Thailand have recently been hit by Avian Flu resulting in the death of around 100 animals), let alone the trauma of capture, break up of family groups, tranquilization, transportation which all amounts to unbearable and cruel distress.
• The exercise of capturing animals, caging them, and transporting them over long distances is a procedure that should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary for the benefit of the animals. The capture of wild animals for overseas zoos, which will result in excessive stress on these animals and risks high mortality is neither essential nor necessary for the Kenya wildlife.
• Kenya’s wildlife population declined between 40-60% from 1977 to 1994.  This decline is estimated to be, in all probability, even higher now due to the rampant illegal bush meat trade, excision of forests, and widespread encroachment into parks and reserves by human settlements.
• The animals involved in the export deal include endangered species such as the White Rhino and Cheetah.
• Other species include Lions, Leopards, Spotted hyenas, Serval cats, Silver backed jackals, Maasai giraffe, Topis, Elands, Waterbucks, Impalas, Grant’s gazelles, Thompson’s gazelles, Wildebeests, Dikdiks, Gerenuks, Kudus, Common Zebra, Buffaloes, Hippos, Reticulated Giraffes, Warthogs.  Many of these species are already under pressure, particularly from the escalating bush meat trade. Bird species include Lesser flamingos, Yellow billed storks, Marabou storks, Black breasted Kori bustard and Crested cranes.
• We understand that mahouts from Thailand may also come to Kenya to ‘train’ elephants. According to evidence that we have seen, such training of elephants frequently involves cruelty by beating the animals into submission. Kenya should not be part of such an abhorrent process.
• Kenya has always endeavored to alleviate human poverty and protect wild animals. Wildlife, through ecotourism, has the potential to create employment. With the streamlining of policy and legislation, more and more Kenyans stand to benefit from wildlife management as the best natural land use. A benefit they will be denied if Kenya’s wildlife is exported.
• As Kenyans we need to promote tourism at home as opposed to tourism of Kenya’s animals elsewhere. We should encourage tourists to come and experience our country’s hospitality, the majesty of our diverse environments and the beauty of our wildlife for themselves - not take Kenya’s wildlife to another country to benefit that country at the expense of Kenyans.

 
We Kenyans and the international groups named hereunder are totally opposed to the export of wild animals from Kenya. We are therefore appealing to His Excellency the President to urgently reconsider this matter and rescind the decision by the Minister for Tourism and Wildlife – Morris Dzoro.
 
We are hereby calling to join hearts, minds and voices as well as resources and publicly call for a boycott of any trading with Thailand, to boycott any Thai products and services until the Thai Government publicly and officially denounces that it would not now and never again try to receive in any way wild animals from the wildlands of Africa for their zoo facilities.
 
Signed by
Local and International Organisations:
 
For and on behalf of the petitioners:
 
African Environmental Outlook for Youth
Amboseli Tsavo Conflict Resolution Committee
Born Free USA and The Born Free Foundation U
Centre d'Ethique - Planète Vie
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Eastern Africa Environmental Network
Ecoterra Intl. and Ecoterra Kenya
Green Alive
Japanese NGO Maasai Project
Kipeto Landowners Association
Kitengela Landowners Association
NARC Youth Congress
Pastoralists Information Bureau
Pegasus Foundation
The Kenya Human Wildlife Conflict Management Network
Youth Center for Biodiversity Conservation
Youth for Conservation

The list is growing for further contact and to support the coaltion please email to: aa-africa@gmx.net

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* see how the "Royal" Thais treat their local people in the hills at http://www.akha.org/ and you will not wonder why  they have no moral or ethical scruple to confine free ranging animals from African wilderness in sick Thai zoos for the night fun of paying visitors, who don't get their kicks otherwise.

Protest also at: http://www.bornfree.org.uk/zoocheck/kenyaletter.shtml

* declare your solidarity with the brave Kenyans, who defend their wildlife despite the fact that since some time most peaceful demonstrations are forbidden by police and usually end with arrests and injuries, by sending a note to aa-africa@gmx.net