Eleven smuggled orangutans that were seized by Thailand government officials in the southern province of Phuket are undergoing DNA tests in a bid to help the apes be returned to their place of origin.

It was a chaotic scene as wildlife officials and veterinarians helped each other separate the orangutans from the cages for medical check-ups and blood tests for DNA identification.

The orangutans are seven times stronger than humans and more than five people were required to overpower just one orangutan. Chloroform was needed for the bigger apes to reduce their pain and stress.

The DNA identification process will take at least one month to identify the orangutans’ origins. It will help determine whether the apes are native to Indonesia’s Sumatra or Borneo, an island shared by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Orangutans are a protected animal in Indonesia and Malaysia. So it is illegal to import such an animal into Thailand,”said Pornchai Patumrattanathan, Chief of Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Breeding Research Station.

In all, 12 orangutans underwent DNA testing, the 11 dumped on Phuket by the smugglers in fear of being caught and one confiscated at a resort in southern Chumphon province.

“Once we have the orangutans’ blood, we’ll extract their DNA. We’ll then multiply the DNA to decode the genetics. Then, we will find out whether or not they are of Borneo or Sumatra breed, so we can return them to their home of origin,” said Professor Theerapol Sirinarumitr, a Forensic Veterinary Expert from Kasetsart University.

The confiscated orangutans are between 4four and eight years of age. Normally, their life span is around 40 years in the wild and 50 years in captivity.

All 12 orangutans are currently at Khao Prathap Chang Wildlife Breeding Research Station in Thailand’s central province of Ratchaburi, until the case is concluded.

(Source: Mcot and OC staff)