The Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo in Thailand has been the center of criticism and controversy lately after a video surfaced online of a baby orangutan being abused in the zoo.
Aside from being mistreated by the ‘caregivers’, the baby primate is also chained up with a very small chain and is forced to interact with tourists and take pictures with them.
The chain is barely a couple of feet long and the orangutan desperately and helplessly keeps crawling around in a circle on the ground.
To make things even worse, the tourists are often able to grab the monkey’s attention. The baby orangutan then enthusiastically rushes to the people, only to be restricted in his movement by the chain.
He is able to give hands to people when they get closer, but it’s clear that it’s out of desperation instead of willingness.
The constant abuse that this animal has to undergo has also been filmed. The baby orangutan finds some litter on the ground and attempts to eat it, but the caretaker spots it. When she does, she violently smacks the baby animal right in the face.
It’s unsure if the person who filmed this is aware that this animal is being abused and neglected, as this kind of ‘animal entertainment’ is fairly common in Thailand.
The nearby zoo Safari World in Bangkok, for example, uses a number of different orangutans and makes them play on drums to perform a concert.
The worst part? These orangutan performers were being ziplined all the way down the stage. Some of them were even forced to compete in boxing competitions.
Nonetheless, the videos that were uploaded of the chained orangutan have caught the attention of many animal activists worldwide. Prashant Khetan, the CEO of Born Free USA, definitely has concerns for when the orangutan grows bigger.
“Orangutans are typically solitary, so getting one to interact with humans will take some ‘training’ — which is why this orangutan is chained and at one point abused by his handler,” he said to The Dodo. “They can live to 40-50 years. There will come a time when the orangutan will need to be disposed of because this ‘act’ is no longer profitable for the owner.”
The animal organization also presumes that this baby orangutan being held captive in the zoo was the result of an illegal wildlife trade. In the Asia region, many exotic animals are being stolen in the wild.
As if that wasn’t enough, the people who steal them usually kill the mothers so that they wouldn’t chase them. In addition, the babies have no chance of surviving in the wild without help from their mothers.
Unfortunately, little is known about the orangutan in question.
We have no idea how old the monkey is, although it’s obvious that he hasn’t reached adulthood yet. He also hasn’t been given a name – but plenty of people have given him a voice in the form of protests and petitions. People hope that gather as much attention as possible and try to let the country’s Natural Resources and Environment handle the case correctly.
Greer Bullock started a petition on Change.org and has already amassed over 110,000 signatures. He hopes to reach 150,000 people soon. Aside from the footage of the orangutan, the man also details the zoo’s other horrible practices with other animals.
“A recent YouTube video shows a baby orangutan chained to the floor. The chain is very short and the orangutan is visibly distressed.”
“Baby chimpanzees and tiger cubs are kept in tiny cages for visitors to have their photos taken with them.”
“Birds are chained up so they are unable to fly.”
“Elephants are kept chained up and forced to perform in a show.”
“There are crocodile shows where the handlers wrestle with them and force their jaws apart.”
“This treatment of these animals is extremely cruel. They are currently living a life that is completely unnatural to them.”
Hopefully, this zoo will be shut down permanently. Activists are trying to put as much pressure on the zoo and the Thai government as possible in order to rescue and free these animals.
“I really hope that we are able to get the zoo shut down and the animals relocated to sanctuaries, where they can get the love and care they need,” the man added.
You can sign the online petition over here.
These animals deserve to live freely in nature, not chained up against their will.
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