KUALA LUMPUR: Young gibbons are being hidden in suitcases and smuggled on passenger flights, with Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) the most frequently implicated airport in a new study.
The wildlife trade monitoring organisation Traffic recorded at least 86 gibbons intercepted in 33 airport smuggling incidents linked to Southeast Asia between January 2024 and last August.
KLIA was linked to 16 cases involving at least 54 gibbons, including 32 seized at the airport.
The animals were concealed in pet carriers or plastic baskets inside checked-in luggage. Every gibbon whose life stage was known was an infant or juvenile, read the report.
Demand for exotic pets helps drive the trade, although investigators must establish whether particular shipments were intended for pet owners or captive facilities.
[[nid:1561704]]
Traffic Southeast Asia director Kanitha Krishnasamy warned that small shipments could cause devastating losses.
"The smuggling of just a few gibbons on each flight may seem small in isolation, but like a dripping tap, the losses accumulate over time.
"What appears minor can add up to a devastating toll on wild populations," she said.
The report also documented seven gibbons found dead in May last year after reportedly being flown from Malaysia in suitcases.
Adults may be harmed or killed when young gibbons are captured, adding to losses beyond the animals seized.
At least 38 people were arrested in connection with the airport incidents. Some couriers were allegedly offered cash, flights and accommodation to transport wildlife.
Traffic warned that detected cases likely underestimated the trade's true scale and called for stronger airport screening and investigations targeting trafficking networks.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd