CONSERVATION
Melee over wildlife issue gathers steam
- Published: 22 Mar 2012 at 02.13
- Newspaper section: News
The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department yesterday threatened to sue a wildlife foundation's founder over alleged defamatory remarks after he accused agency staff of failing to take proper care of wild animals it had confiscated.
Theerapat Prayurasidhi, the department's deputy director-general, said the department considered comments against the department by Edwin Wiek, founder of the Wildlife Friends Foundation, "aggressive". He made the comments to international media outlets, on his own website and in videos posted on YouTube.Mr Wiek was dissatisfied with department officials who last month raided his foundation in Phetchaburi's Tha Yang district and confiscated 99 animals, including smooth-coated otters, white handed gibbons and great hornbills among others. The raid was in reaction to public complaints that the foundation did not have a licence to keep the wild animals. "If he does not stop making comments [against department officials], we will sue him," Mr Theerapat said. "He has falsely accused us. We have never treated those confiscated animals badly. They...
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