Noor Mahmood almost achieved the unthinkable not so long ago: about to fly first-class to Dubai, the 36-year-old United Arab Emirates national calmly deposited his hand luggage on an x-ray scanner at Bangkok Airport. As the case trundled past security, no one noticed the marmoset, gibbon, Asiatic black bear and four leopards – all drugged and less than two months old – packed tightly inside.
Just as he was about to board, Mahmood felt a hand on his shoulder. He bragged to the arresting wildlife taskforce police officers about having connections with a former Thai prime minister in the hope of being released, but the officers refused to budge and a conviction seemed certain – until, that is, he was released on bail and fled the country.
The scenario is all too familiar to those who work to combat Southeast Asia’s illegal trade in wildlife. Prosecutions are rare; prison sentences even more so. The trade in endangered species is believed to be worth up to $30 billion a year, 25% of which passes through Southeast Asia. And the volume is increasing, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s regional office, but so are efforts to stop it.
Among those making such efforts is Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Phnom Penh, a sprawling 2,500-acre safe house for exotic creatures rescued from the clutches of such would-be smugglers. The sanctuary is run by Wildlife Alliance within a protected forest, and is home to a spectacular array of fauna, including the world’s largest captive collections of pileated gibbons and Malayan sun bears. Other rarities include the delightfully named hairy-nosed otter, the slow loris and the knobbly kneed greater adjutant stork, a feathered oddity if ever there was one.
Here, more than 1,200 creatures representing 93 endangered or threatened species preen, posture and play in the safety of leafy enclosures, peered at by 20,000 curious onlookers every year. The most vulnerable are babies which have lost their mothers or been separated from their family groups – and it’s to this end that Sharky Bar is hosting a two-day rockfest this weekend to raise funds for a much-needed nursery.
Chouk the elephant is a case in point: found with his foot torn off by a hunter’s trap, today he romps through Phnom Tamao forest propped up by a prosthetic limb. “Chouk is now on his fourth prosthesis,” says Wildlife Rescue Director Nick Marx. “It’s changed his life radically. Before he had a prosthetic limb, he used to walk in the forest with his big sister and he was getting tired very quickly. He’d stop frequently for a rest and a sleep. As soon as we gave him his first prosthesis, he just took off straight away. He was fine.
“This is exactly why we need money to build a nursery: to keep our animals nicely, with all the love and attention that they need, and the proper care. We do a good job of that at the moment, but we don’t have a specific place for it. We don’t have money to throw away, so we have to use an existing facility, but put it to better use for baby animals, with easy-to-clean tiles and simple utilities such as running water and solar panels to provide electricity. If we don’t get the funds to do this, we won’t stop looking after baby animals, it’s just that we could be doing it better.”
Rolling Stones cover band Stoned Again will headline throughout, with all-girl punk group The Herding Cats making a special appearance on Friday. On Saturday, Stoned Again will be joined by regional rhythm and blues maestro Curtis King and local indie pin-ups the Teaner Turners. Up for grabs via raffle tickets and an auction are everything from stays at Independence Hotel in Sihanoukville and Sokha Angkor Resort in Siem Reap to a Cambodian Country Club membership and jewellery from some of New York’s hottest designers. Rarrrrrgh.
WHO: Stoned Again, Herding Cats, Curtis King, Teaner Turners
WHAT: Wildlife Alliance fundraiser
WHERE: Sharky Bar, St. 130
WHEN: 7pm April 27 and 28
WHY: Because inside you there’s a baby beastie just waiting to get out