Thailand Repatriates 3 Orang Utan Nobita, Shizuka And Brian To Indonesia

Thailand repatriated three orangutans confiscated into their natural habitat in Indonesia, at the cargo terminal of Suvawenhumi Airport, Samut Prakan, Thailand, Thursday (12/12/2023). (ANTARA/HO-KBRI Bangkok)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Bangkok stated that Thailand repatriated three orangutans into their natural habitat in Indonesia, at the cargo terminal of Suvawenhumi Airport, Samut Prakan, Thailand.

According to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand repatriated the three confiscated orangutans at the request of the Government of Indonesia, as regulated in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

As a country that has ratified CITES, Indonesia and Thailand are committed to protecting and eradicating the smuggling and trade of their rare species.

Director General of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Attapon Charoenchansa as representatives of the Thai Government, handed over the orangutans to the Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand Rachmat Budiman who is a representative of the Indonesian Government.

Rachmat Budiman conveyed this repatriation as well as sending a message to criminals that Indonesia and Thailand are committed to hunting down perpetrators and fulfilling obligations both based on their respective national law and within the framework of an international mechanism.

Meanwhile, the Director General of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Attapon Charoenchansa, said that the repatriation of orangutans to their birthplace this time would encourage the trend of conservation of natural resources and increase cooperation in the ASEAN region.

Named from the three orangutans are Nobita, a seven-year-old male weighing 25.4 kg, Shizuka, a seven-year-old female weighing 19.75 kg, and Brian, five years old weighing 22.6 kg.

The three confiscated orangutans were previously treated at the Wildlife Rescue Center in Khao Prathubchang in Ratchaburi, Thailand, and will carry out a quarantine program at the Natural Resources Conservation Center in Jambi, and undergo several stages of the rehabilitation process before being released into their habitat.

The repatriation of the three orangutans illustrates a strong and mutually beneficial collaboration and support between Indonesia and Thailand to eradicate cross-border crimes, especially in terms of eradicating wildlife smuggling and trafficking.

Since 2006, as many as 74 confiscated orangutans, including Nobita, Shizuka and Brian, have been repatriated from Thailand to Indonesia and some of them have been released into their habitats in Kalimantan and Sumatra.