Posted
8/04/2004 07:15:00 PM
by Douglas
I wonder when is the best time to go to Thailand for the
monkey boxing?A Thai zoo has been forced to halt orangutan boxing matches as police investigate allegations that the animals were illegally smuggled from Indonesia, a spokeswoman and police said Wednesday.
Police have been investigating the Safari World animal park near Bangkok since November after receiving complaints that it was keeping protected species without a permit.
Authorities ordered the zoo to keep the orangutans confined while a probe was being conducted. Some of the zoo's 115 orangutans have been trained to perform traditional Thai kickboxing onstage for tourists.
The zoo, however, continued to hold the bouts until earlier this week when it received a police warning.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this orangutan boxing match is for exhibition only, so, as usual, no wagering.