Animal Group Says Nigeria Centre of Illegal Trade
7/21/97
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: Animal Group Says Nigeria Centre of Illegal Trade
Source: (c) Reuters Limited 1997
Date: 7/21/97
LAGOS - Gorillas and other endangered animals from West and Central Africa
are being exported through the northern Nigerian city of Kano, which has
become a centre of the illegal trade, an animal rights group said on
Sunday.
Mike Pugh, of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, said his
investigations, when posing as a dealer, showed corrupt officials and good
international air connections had made Kano a stepping-stone for exports
to Asia and the Middle East.
"(A local dealer) told me there would be no problems exporting any animals
and he would pay an incentive to the wildlife department to obtain the
free disposal permit which he told me was all I needed," Pugh told
Reuters. "All the information I've got says that's true."
Pugh said local wildlife officials gave him the permit to export
endangered chimpanzees, described as "pet monkeys", for little more than
$200 when they were convinced he was a genuine animal dealer wanting to
send large numbers to India.
They could not issue an internationally-demanded CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species) certificate for transporting
endangered species, but said there would be no need for it at the airport.
Airport and airline officials at Kano said the free disposal permit and a
health certificate were all that was required to export animals, as long
as arrangements were also made at the destination.
"They said it was okay to export gorillas and chimps. 'If you want to
export an elephant no problem' one of them told me," said Pugh.
He could not give a precise number of animals leaving, but one dealer said
he could provide up to 40 chimpanzees over six months at 25,000 naira
($300) each and 10 gorillas for 55,000 naira ($660). Another offered 20
chimpanzees and four gorillas.
"Gorillas and chimps come from Cameroon and more chimps come from Gabon,"
said Pugh. "The adult animals are killed by hunters for meat and then the
babies are sold as pets or for private zoos or medical research."
Military-ruled Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, has earned a
reputation as a transit point for the international trade in illegal
drugs, as well as being known for corruption and fraud.