Thai Director General of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Attapon Charoenchansa, was present as a representative of the royal Thai government to hand over the orangutan to the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Thailand and UNESCAP, Rachmat Budiman, as representative of the Indonesian government.
Rachmat expressed his appreciation to various parties in Thailand involved in orangutan repatriation, especially the hard work of the Thai National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. Special appreciation was also given to two orangutan keepers, Chaovalite Lavat and Kanokon Seanathum, who have looked after the three orangutans and some previously repatriated orangutans with great affection.
"This repatriation also sends a message to criminals that Indonesia and Thailand are committed to hunting down perpetrators and fulfilling obligations, both under their respective national laws and within the framework of international mechanisms," said Ambassador Rachmat in an Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok official statement received in Jakarta on the same day.
The three repatriated orangutans are Nobita, a 7-year-old male orangutan weighing 25.4 kg, Shizuka, a 7-year-old female orangutan weighing 19.75 kg, and Brian, a 5-year-old male orangutan weighing 22.6 kg. The three have been cared for by the Thai National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department at the Region 3 Wildlife Rescue Center in Khao Prathubchang, Ratchaburi since their confiscation.
The Thai National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department accepted Nobita and Shizuka in 2016 and Brian in 2019. After the legal process was completed, the royal Thai government decided to repatriate the three orangutans to their natural habitat in Indonesia at the request of the Indonesian government.
The repatriation of Nobita, Shizuka, and Brian is one of the important achievements in celebrating the 73rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Thailand this year. According to Rachmat, this also illustrates the strong and mutually beneficial collaboration and support between the two countries to eradicate transnational crime, especially in terms of eradicating wildlife smuggling and trade.
"Since 2006, 74 confiscated orangutans, including Nobita, Shizuka, and Brian, have been repatriated from Thailand to Indonesia, and several of them have been released into their habitats in Kalimantan and Sumatra," wrote the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok.
Indonesia and Thailand are party countries to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Both countries are committed to protecting and eradicating smuggling and trafficking in endangered species. Rachmat hopes that no more orangutans will be smuggled in the future.
Meanwhile, Thai Director General of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Attapon said that this repatriation of orangutans to their birthplace will encourage the trend of natural resource conservation and increase cooperation in the ASEAN region.
"After repatriation, Nobita, Shizuka, and Brian will quarantined at the Natural Resources Conservation Center in Jambi, and undergo several stages of the rehabilitation process before being released into their habitat," wrote the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok.
The three orangutans were flown on a Garuda Indonesia flight to Jakarta immediately after the handover ceremony was completed. According to the plan, upon arrival in Jakarta, the three orangutans will be received by the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry, accompanied by the Thai Ambassador in Jakarta and the Director for Southeast Asia at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
