Rare Baby Animals Found Drugged in 1st Class Passenger’s Suitcases

The luggage of a first-class passenger on a Bangkok-to-Dubai flight contained something other than shirts and socks: Authorities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport found baby leopards, panthers, a bear and monkeys in the suitcases of a United Arab Emirates citizen. Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been tracing the man since he purchased the rare and endangered animals on the black market, according to the Thailand-based FREELAND Foundation whose mission is to make the “world free of human slavery and wildlife trafficking.”

All of the animals had been drugged, says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

When authorities opened the suitcases, the animals yawned, said Steven Galster, director of FREELAND, who was present during the bust. There were two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys — all about the size of puppies.

“It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn’t move around much,” Galster said. Some of the animals were placed inside canisters with air holes.

Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.

“It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We’ve never seen one like this before,” Galster said. “The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases.”

Not to mention, a small fortune in rare animals. Leopards and panthers fetch roughly $5,000 a piece on the black market in Thailand — known as a “hub for illegal wildlife trafficking” — and most likely more in Dubai, where such exotic pets are said to be popular.

Wildlife trafficking leads to “massive and irrevocably biodiversity loss” and the “degradation” of “natural ecosystems and essential environmental services,” as well as endangering human health, says the FREELAND Foundation. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to amount to $10 – 20 billion in profits annually.

Photo of a macaque monkey in Monkey Cave Temple, Thailand, by Pavel Sigarteu.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Marlene D.

1:41PM PST on Dec 9, 2012

this is so sick!!!!! it do not look like is going to stop!!!!! poor animals!!!!!!

December 9
send a green star

Jean B.

5:32AM PDT on Jul 18, 2012

this is absolutely the problem with exotic animal trafficking. sick. who would think this is acceptable? human-kind is no longer 'kind'.

July 18
send a green star

Pamela L.

6:28AM PDT on Apr 18, 2012

This is awful!! what in the world is wrong with people!! I just don't understand!!

April 18
send a green star

C.M P.

2:44PM PDT on Mar 21, 2012

Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been tracing the man since he purchased the rare and endangered animals on the black market

Why could they have not stopped the purchase if it was illegal???

March 21
send a green star

2:43PM PDT on Mar 21, 2012

"Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been tracing the man since he purchased the rare and endangered animals on the black market"

Why were they not able to stop him at the time of purchase???

Les D.

6:45AM PST on Mar 2, 2012

This has to stopped at the source ,The Thais are the suppliers so the Thai Forest Authorties are the ones pressure should be brought to bear on.
This sort of thing makes me sick !

March 2
send a green star

ELENA N.

2:09AM PST on Mar 2, 2012

i cant believe what iam reading,honestly it makes me sick tothe core that iam sitting behind a a computer right now rather than chopping thsi guys dick off and send that in a cage,see what the highest bidders think then! i know i sound terrible,but spending a couple of hrs signing petitions and reading all the bad news i cant be kind...i wish that all poachers,hunters,smugglers of all trades from human to animal find karma hitting them right in the gut..may they live the same nightmare as they forced on their victims.

Margriet M.

3:02AM PST on Feb 17, 2012

OMG :(