Eleven orangutans that were smuggled in to Thailand over a period of several months have been found and confiscated at a crocodile farm in the Southern province of Phuket, Thailand.

The orangutans, some of whom were forced to pose in photographs with tourists, were found
by an investigation team of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand(WFFT) in December 2008 and disappeared for a while hours before the Department of National Parks (DNP) raided the farm in late January, after a probable tip-off.

The 11 orangutans were finally found on February 4th, 2009, on another visit to the zoo in small holding enclosures behind the crocodile farm.

Only six months ago another smuggled Orangutan baby was found at a resort in Chumporn, that was finally confiscated after demands from the WFFT and the International Primate Protection League (IPPL), whose supporters sent over 500 letters to the Director-General of the DNP, the
police and other high officials to push for enforcement of CITES regulations.

The confiscated orangutans are currently at the Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Breeding Center of the DNP, while a permanent sanctuary cane be located to house them.

(Source: Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand)