The Laos Wildlife Sanctuary is one of our most recent partnerships and as of late, it is clear to see why. Home to over 500 animals and receiving more every day, the team battle with the ever-prevalent wildlife trade. Whilst COVID-19 has affected the volunteer programme, the sanctuary team are left with an all-hands-on-deck approach to continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and hopefully release any animal that comes into their care. Laos, unfortunately, is a major gateway for the illegal trafficking of exotic animals and due to this the sanctuary receive many calls to rescue innocent wildlife from instances where they are likely to be eaten, used for traditional medicine, or more commonly kept as pets. In just the last month or so, the rescue team have been called to rescue three separate monkeys, all of which have suffered at the hands of the illegal pet trade.
Temple Rescue
On September 2nd, the rescue team received a call from the Vientiane Capital Office of Forestry Inspection, it had been bought to their attention that a macaque needed rescuing from a nearby temple. It is common for local people to drop animals they have found or can no longer care for at temples where they hope the monks will be able to look after them. Whilst the monks usually have the best intentions to care for these animals, they are usually fed inappropriate diets which may cause them future health issues and are confined to unsuitable living spaces, for instance, this macaque was found tied to a tree.
Potential Sale
Only two days on from rescuing the macaque, the team travelled to the North of Laos to rescue a young and critically endangered Northern white-cheeked gibbon. The sanctuary partnered with the Provincial Office of Forest Inspection to track down the seller and arrange a meeting in order to confiscate the gibbon which was a success.
Escaped Pet
A local village had been trying for months to recapture two escaped long-tailed macaques that had been kept as pets. Sadly, the female macaque had been travelling along power lines when she was severely electrocuted. Locals from the village called the team immediately in hopes to save her life, upon arrival the macaque was in very poor condition and she was taken straight to the sanctuary’s wildlife hospital. She has now undergone multiple surgeries and is beginning physical therapy, she’s still on the road to recovery but is doing well under the care of the incredible vet team.
All 3 monkeys are now in the safe care of the sanctuary and have begun a long rehabilitation process. With any animal rescued it is always the hopes that they will be able to be rehabilitated fully and released back into the wild where they belong. Unfortunately, this is not always possible as many animals rescued from the pet trade are too traumatised or habituated to survive on their own, in this case, the sanctuary will provide a forever home where they will lead the most natural lives possible. For their continued and incredible efforts in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade, especially during these troubling times, we would like to thank the sanctuary team who work hard to ensure that no animal is left to suffer.
