Animal advocates are fighting to see the “world’s saddest gorilla” freed from captivity.
Authorities in Thailand have failed to free an aging gorilla that has been kept in a zoo atop a high-rise mall for 33 years, as the owner is refusing to sell the animal for less than $780,000.
Bua Noi, whose name means ‘Little Lotus’ — a symbol of purity and strength in some cultures — arrived at Bangkok’s Pata shopping mall in 1990 when he was a year old and has been kept in a filthy enclosure ever since.
The Thai government, animal rights group PETA and even pop singer Cher have begged Bua Noi’s keeper to release the animal since 2015, hoping for her to die peacefully around other gorillas.
However, the owner of the Pata Zoo reportedly told Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa that he would only release Bua Noi for 30 million Thai baht — around $782,000 US dollars.
Thanetpol Thanaboonyawat, the secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, said last week that the ministry had been organizing charity fund-raising events, but hasn’t raised enough money to meet the owner’s demands.
“We have held activities in the past campaigning for Bua Noi’s release and to raise funds. We collected donations from Bua Noi’s supporters. But the problem is that the owner refuses to sell Bua Noi. When he does agree to sell her, the price is too high,” Thanaboonyawat told ViralPress.
Thanaboonyawat explained Bua Noi is considered private property, so they can’t do anything to remove her. Her owner bought her for 3 million baht from Germany when she was a year old.
“The owner bought Bua Noi before laws were introduced to prevent the trade and ownership of endangered animals and wild animals,” he explained.
Healthy gorillas usually have a lifespan between 35 and 40 years old.
The rundown zoo was once ordered to close in 2015 by officials of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation after it was found to lack the correct paperwork. The zoo eventually re-opened and kept the gorilla.
According to PETA Asia Senior Vice President Jason Baker, the conditions Bua Noi is living in are “horrifying and cruel,” adding that the animal is suffering “extreme psychological distress.”
“This shabby facility is internationally condemned as one of the worst zoos in the world,” he said. “I urge everyone to keep the pressure on Pata Zoo and to demand that it let PETA help retire these animals to reputable sanctuaries that would meet their physical and mental needs.”
A spokesperson for the zoo denied there were “any negotiations to sell Bua Noi with anyone or any agencies.”
“The current team of Pata Pinklao department store executives has been in charge of the management since Aug. 28, 2020,” they said. “The aging gorilla has spent her life at the zoo and has been accustomed to this environment and a disease-free place for more than 30 years.”
Zoo director Kanit Sermsirimongkol maintains there is “no problem” with the animals living in the rooftop zoo and that Bua Noi’s sad look — which many attribute to her living conditions — is just her “natural facial expression.”
“Before opening, we consulted zoologists and veterinarians and only selected animals that were suitable for the zoo. And they have been treated well,” he said.
“The criticism doesn’t concern me because we know her best. Those people saw the picture of her on the internet and assume she’s depressed. But that’s how she looks just like humans — some have a sad face and some have a happy face,” he insisted.
“We have been taking care of Bua Noi like our own daughter,” he continued. “I know that we will have to find her a suitable new home one day, but it’s not good idea to immediately release her back into the wild without teaching her how to survive on her own.”