ASIAN NATIONALS RAPING SA WILDLIFE HERITAGE

The recent arrest of Thai environmental terrorist Chumlong Lemtongthai who was using call girls to run rings around a paralysed, dysfunctional South African conservation service, has touched upon research being done by Richard Hargreaves, the UK director of South African wildlife NGO, Campaign Against Canned Hunting. Questioned by Mrs SV Kalyan (DA), the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs recently provided the following table showing the names of the exporters of lion bones from South Africa and the recipients in Lao PDR:
Exporter in South Africa Importer in Lao PDR
Mr S H Rothman S Durosagham
Hatari Taxidermy S Durosagham
Mr T Cloete Sipharpra Duarseram
Mr J P Wapenaar / Mr S H Rothman Vixay Keosovang
Sandra Linde Taxidermy Sipharpra Duarseram
Sandra Linde Taxidermy Vixay Keosovang
Mr G J van Zyl (c/o Hatari Taxidermy) Vixay Keosovang
Mr G J van Zyl (c/o Hatari Taxidermy) Vixay Keosovang
Mr M P Steyl (c/o C Williamson Savuti Taxidermy) Vixay Keosovang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Jacek Raczka
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Bounpasong Paphatsalang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Bounpasong Paphatsalang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Vixay Keosovang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Vixay Keosovang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Vixay Keosovang
Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa) Vixay Keosovang

Previous Parliamentary questions had ascertained that, in 2009 and 2010 alone, the soldiers of fortune listed above traded 327 lion carcasses (yes that is 327 lion carcasses!) between South Africa and Lao. With 92 traded in 2009 and 235 traded in 2010 that represented a year on year industry growth of over 150%. As such, we dread to think how many have been traded so far in 2011!?!
The exporter named most often is 'Mr JJ van der Westhuizen (Letsatsi la Africa)'

Readers may recall that Van Der Westhuizen was at the centre of the initial lion bone permit scandal when he was granted a permit to sell lion bones a couple of years back – See:
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Anger-over-lion-bone-sales-20091210

What strikes us as odd is that Letsatsi la Africa was then stated to be in the Free State but these lions were all stated by the Minister to have been exported from the North West Province…

Here is the link to the Carte Blanche program that focused on the lion bone trade. Letsatsi la Africa features in the second part:
http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?Id=3890&ShowId=1

327 is obviously a lot more than the 20 that were mentioned in relation to Letsatsi in the program so it would be very interesting to find out the terms of v.d.Westhuizen's permits since 2009.

The importer named most often is 'Vixay Keosovang'

Vixay Keosovang was recently revealed to be the owner of 'Xaysavang Export-Import Trading Ltd' in Lao PDR - See:
http://bushwarriors.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/south-african-authorities-nab-members-of-possible-international-illegal-wildlife-trade-ring/

Xaysavang is the company named in the recent case involving the two Thai nationals who were found with lion bones without a permit - See: http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2011/07/01/two-game-farmers-in-court-for-lion-bones

Xaysavang is also the company for whom Chumlong Lemtongthai, who was arrested recently over the illegal rhino horn scandal, is said to be a 'key figure' - See: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Hawks-Sars-net-trafficking-kingpin-20110710

Lemtongthai was refused bail at the start of September given the risk of him fleeing back to Thailand ( http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/thai-rhino-accused-a-flight-risk-1.1130108 ) and it looks like his trial was adjourned just days ago, until November, for further investigation and possible further charges and arrests ( See: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/09/15/rhino-poaching-trial-postponed ).

It doesn't say how many of the 327 lion 'carcasses' went to Vixay Keosavang (Xaysavang) but our guess is that it would have been the majority.

We realize this info only covers legal trade but it certainly proves Xaysavang is involved in the lion bone trade. Also, CITES shows no lion exports from Lao PDR in recent years suggesting that these lion carcasses were either for domestic consumption in Lao, or they went to China illegally.

Are there any investigative journalists out there who can pick this up and run with it? Or shall we just let the ruthless environmental terrorists rape our wildlife heritage, and pervert conservation into a sort of farming operation using wildlife as alternative livestock?

Chris:

Just the fact that this is legally allowed to happen is disgusting. I just
hope the powers that be grabbed this guy's passport while he is again awaiting trial in November or else he'll disappear.

Thanks for keeping us up to date Chris. Sometimes it seems like you are the only one who cares about wildlife in SA. Do you know of other South Africans who are as passionate about saving wildlife as you are? Unfortunately one never hears of them. Perhaps that is one of the reasons so many Europeans and Americans still travel to SA - because they don't know the truth about the plight of your wildlife.

Again, thank you for keeping us up to date.

Hi Jan yes there are a number of good people fighting for wildlife here, and we mention some of them in our new book. Kalahari Dream
In the chapter on Wildlife warriors. Still with the copy editor, we'll publish on Amazon in October. Hard copy, tablet e-reader and Kindle formats. It is a movie book (a new concept where you read about it and then watch on video.) Best read on tablet or laptop because you move from text to video seamlessly at the click on the URL.
I cannot take credit for any of the hard work that lay behind this post. It represents months of research by our hard working UK director, Richard Hargreaves. All very disturbing. We warned about this ten years ago in our first book. You did not need to be too smart to see how a dysfunctional conservation service would allow environmental terrorists to flourish.

Hi Chris: I just checked Amazon (in the US) and they don't yet have it listed so one can pre-order.
Please let us know when it will be available so we can purchase it. Am looking forward to reading about some of the people trying to make a change in South Africa's wildlife. All we hear is the bad stuff from all over Africa, and it will be refreshing to learn of people making a difference.

Hi Jan and thanks for your kind words, and your interest. One of the points we make in the book is the unexpected meeting of wonderful people who love animals around the world when we established the sanctuary.
No, the book has not yet been published because the copy editor is still busy, but we'll get it up on Amazon sometime in October, and we'll let you know. It will be available in hard copy but it will work best on an e-reader like the new Kindle about to be released, where you can click seamlessly from text to video and back.
Phil Wollen, the famous Australian philanthropist, is being very supportive. We have included a chapter titled Wildlife Warriors which talks about some of the admirable animal activists and rehabbers who we met during our years in the Kalahari. People like 82 year old Rita Miljo of CARE, the baboon sanctuary.
We are going to ruffle some feathers, I can tell you, but an honest book on this subject must necessarily do so.

Hi Chris: Can't wait for it to come out. I have an older Kindle, but when I purchase a book not only does it load on my Kindle within one minute but it also loads on my Kindle folder on my computer. Thus I am guessing that where your book goes from text to video, I should probably read it on my computer so I can switch between text to video. Please be sure to let us know when it is available on Amazon.