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Thailand Resource Pack
.: About the CrisisThe wildlife sanctuary, which is currently home to gibbons, macaques, civets, sun bears, a tiger, elephants and a pig, takes in wild animals that have been abused and mistreated by human captors. All of the animals are rescued and most arrive at the sanctuary malnourished, wounded and traumatized.The abused animals are a result of Thailand's illegal animal trade, in which wild animals are caught and sold as pets, exploited by the tourism industry, or killed for their fur, meat and medicinal purposes. Many simply end up as trophies. Although Thailand ratified the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the world's largest international wildlife conservation agreement, the illegal animal trade is still thriving. In fact, the trade is estimated to be worth $8 to $10 billion a year in Southeast Asia. The illegal wildlife trade's success is due to a number of factors, which includes deforestation and a loss of habitat, an increase in roads that link forests and markets, a growing human population and a growing urban population able to make such purchases. In a survey conducted in one market in Thailand for 25 weeks, it was found that 20,000 birds were sold, of which were from 276 species. In two national parks in northern Thailand, tigers, elephants and wild cattle have been hunted to extinction. The animals that are brought to the wildlife sanctuary are the lucky ones. While the sanctuary aims to rehabilitate the animals and release them back into the wild, often the animals must live at the sanctuary for the rest of their lives. "It's a huge problem, because the forest is basically like an unguarded bank," said Liz Bennett of the Wildlife Conservation Society in an interview with National Public Radio. "Every single product in the forest is of value, particularly the wildlife, because you can sell every bit of every animal. Basically, the forests here are shrinking in size, increasing in accessibility and they're full of products which anybody can go in and pretty much take out and sell." .: Easy FactsFor the Thailand Easy Facts sheet, click here..: ArticlesRead about volunteer Chelsea Nordick's experience in Thailand: click here..: Further ReadingExtinction Risk for 1 in 3 Primates, Study SaysNational Geographic News, October 8, 2002: One in every three of the world's apes, monkeys, lemurs, and other primates is now endangered with extinction, according to a report released this week by Conservation International (CI) and the Primate Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1008_021008_primates.html Thailand gets tough on wildlife traffickers The Observer, Nick Cumming-Bruce in Bangkok, Sunday November 30, 2003. Piles of fresh tiger meat alongside the paws of slaughtered bears found by Thai police during a raid on a suburban Bangkok home have turned the spotlight on Thailand's pivotal role in Asia's huge, lucrative and cruel trade in exotic, often endangered animals. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1096294,00.html Animal Rights: A Guide To The Movement Wednesday July 21, 2004 Sarah Left: Sarah Left describes a broad front of activists, ranging from the feral to the cuddly. The groups making up the animal rights movement vary enormously, from the laudable (RSPCA inspectors rescuing abandoned pets and injured wildlife) to the activist (the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" campaigns). Then there are the extremists. The following is a guide to some of the major players in animals rights in the UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,1265928,00.html .: Country ProfileFor Thailand's country profile, click here | .
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Vietnam
Volunteers have the chance to teach English, care for and play with children in placements around central Vietnam. > Read More
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