BANGKOK – A baby orangutan couple named after two Japanese Doraemon characters has been living in Thailand since 2016 after getting help from cops in Bangkok. Nobita and Shizuka will now be sent back to Indonesia, where they are from.
On December 12, 2023, Narin Pratuanchai, Deputy Director General from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, announced the return of three Sumatran orangutans, including Nobita and Shisuka, involved in an international wildlife trafficking case, to Indonesia.
The decision follows discussions between Thai and Indonesian authorities. The orangutans will be transported on Garuda Indonesia Airline flight GA867 on December 21 from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Indonesia will bear the expenses, including health checks.
The two orangutans made headlines just before Christmas 2016, when they were found clinging to each other in a box in the back of a taxi.
Freeland, an animal rescue group, told police about it by pretending to be a buyer on Facebook with a $US3,000 deposit.
The cab driver was detained but soon freed. There have been no charges filed.
“This is a well-oiled, well-organized criminal gang.” “It’s mafia behind it,” claimed Edwin Wiek, founder of Thailand’s Wildlife Friends Foundation.
According to Prasert Sornsathapornkul, Division of Wild Fauna and Flora Protection Director, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Nobita and Shizuka are now 7 years old. Nobita, a male, weighs 26 kg and Shizuka, a female, weighs 20 kg.
The two have been under the care of the Khao Pratap Chang Wildlife Breeding Centre in Ratchaburi since 2016. Another orangutan who will be sent to Indonesia is named Brian, a 4-year-old male weighing 23 kg. He has also been in charge of this location since 2019.
The Central Institute of Forensic Science has analyzed the DNA of all three orangutans, confirming that they belong to the Sumatran orangutan species (Pongo abelii). Additionally, health registrations and samples have been collected to test for diseases, with all results coming back negative. This ensures their readiness for the return journey.
The operation to return these orangutans marks the fifth time, with a total of 71 individuals sent back since 2006. The most recent prior case involved sending two orangutans, Unga-Inga and Natateli, back to Indonesia on December 17, 2020.
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