THE WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING GROUP

14th February 2016

PRESS RELEASE

Conservationists from Indonesia’s SCORPION FOUNDATION are very worried to read that North Korea  wants an orangutan or two from Indonesia.

The worry is because North Korea had bad reputation in handling great ape at zoo.  Various reports indicated that North Korea poorly managed the great ape. A visitor had ever seen  the public and security staff throwing lit cigarettes to chimpanzee who was then smoking them. 

Senior Investigator from Scorpion Foundation, Marison Guciano urges that Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) cancel the plan to exchange orangutan with “Korean Tiger”.  As published by the public media, North Korean Ambassador  An Kwang II offered to Ahok to exchange “Korean Tiger” with orangutan in a courtesy call on Jakarta Governor in Jakarta on Friday 12 February 2016. 

Marison Guciano, senior investigator with Scorpion said, “Conservationists and people the world over condemn any idea of sending our orangutans to North Korea. We ask our President to ban any such export.”

With its bitterly cold winters, food shortages, terrible human rights record, we know animals in zoos will be treated even worse. North Korea is no place for orangutans to be sent.

Director of Scorpion, Gunung Gea, adds, “We all see in the news how North Korea treats its citizens. We can only imagine how badly its animals in zoos are treated. Our government must never send any animals to North Korea –  to do so would be a death sentence.” 

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Contact Person

1. Gunung Gea

Founding Director

SCORPION Foundation

Cellular Phone: +62852890108401

Email: gununggea@gmail.com, info@scorpionmonitor.org

2. Marison Guciano

Senior Investigator

SCORPION Foundation

Cellular Phone +6281210195047

Email: marisonguciano@gmail.com