Over 200 exotic animals have been liberated from the grip of international wildlife-traffickers following a raid on their compound in Thailand. According to reports, tigers, lions, kangaroos, and orangutans were among the 50 species held captive in what authorities are calling a "virtual Noah’s Ark" of illegally possessed animals intended for sale on the black market.
The raid was conducted by Thai Nature Crime Police and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife & Plant Conservation (DNP), along with an anti-trafficking NGO, the Freeland Foundation. So far, three people have been arrested for possessing the wildlife, which included some endangered species, without a licence.
“This is the largest illegal wildlife supplier we’ve discovered,” said Royal Thai Police Major General Norasak Hemnithi, via WildlifeNews.co.uk. “We know it’s part of an international criminal network importing protected animals from Africa, Canada and other countries, then breeding them for illegal sale."
Among the over 200 animals seized were 5 tigers, 13 white lions, three pumas, three kangaroos, four flamingos, two crowned cranes, 66 marmosets, two orangutans, and two red pandas.
The recent bust comes on the heels of another high-profile raid in Bangkok just last month of a wildlife slaughterhouse where a variety of exotic animals, such as zebra, elephants, and lions, were found to have been killed to make trophy mounts.
Source
The raid was conducted by Thai Nature Crime Police and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife & Plant Conservation (DNP), along with an anti-trafficking NGO, the Freeland Foundation. So far, three people have been arrested for possessing the wildlife, which included some endangered species, without a licence.
“This is the largest illegal wildlife supplier we’ve discovered,” said Royal Thai Police Major General Norasak Hemnithi, via WildlifeNews.co.uk. “We know it’s part of an international criminal network importing protected animals from Africa, Canada and other countries, then breeding them for illegal sale."
Among the over 200 animals seized were 5 tigers, 13 white lions, three pumas, three kangaroos, four flamingos, two crowned cranes, 66 marmosets, two orangutans, and two red pandas.
The recent bust comes on the heels of another high-profile raid in Bangkok just last month of a wildlife slaughterhouse where a variety of exotic animals, such as zebra, elephants, and lions, were found to have been killed to make trophy mounts.
Source
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