PHUKET: The tiny loris sits in the palm of its keeper's hand, blinking up with big round eyes into the bright lights of Phuket's Soi Bangla.
It's the cutest thing you've ever seen. At the same time, if you are an animal-lover, it's the most horrible thing you've ever seen.
Here's a protected creature, from a species the experts say is in danger of extinction, being used by a tout in Patong's notorious walking street to make a little cash.
If you are Thai, having your photograph taken holding the loris will cost you 100 baht. If you are foreign, the same photo opportunity will cost you 200 baht.
Less than a week ago, Patong police arrested two men in Soi Bangla and confiscated three southern lorises, two adults and a juvenile.
The animals were to be handed over to the Gibbon Sanctuary in Bang Pae, eastern Phuket, in the hope that they would quickly be returned to full health and released back into the wild.
Tonight in Soi Bangla, we find a juvenile loris in the palm of a tout's hand.
A little further on, a girl who must be perhaps 14 years old offers us an adult loris, dressed in a ''Torres'' football jumper.
Is it cute, or is it horrible?
Then there's the green iguana, being offered by yet another tout for photographs, among the ladyboys and the ping-pong show touts.
These must be the touts for the ping-pong shows that officials couldn't find earlier this year when they went looking.
We are led by one tout to a doorway and told we are welcome to go inside for free. The drinks will cost a little extra. ''No thanks,'' we say.
On the way back down Soi Bangla, we pass the loris touts again. Phuket's cutesy horror show seems destined to roll on and on, tonight and every night.
It's the cutest thing you've ever seen. At the same time, if you are an animal-lover, it's the most horrible thing you've ever seen.
Here's a protected creature, from a species the experts say is in danger of extinction, being used by a tout in Patong's notorious walking street to make a little cash.
If you are Thai, having your photograph taken holding the loris will cost you 100 baht. If you are foreign, the same photo opportunity will cost you 200 baht.
Less than a week ago, Patong police arrested two men in Soi Bangla and confiscated three southern lorises, two adults and a juvenile.
The animals were to be handed over to the Gibbon Sanctuary in Bang Pae, eastern Phuket, in the hope that they would quickly be returned to full health and released back into the wild.
Tonight in Soi Bangla, we find a juvenile loris in the palm of a tout's hand.
A little further on, a girl who must be perhaps 14 years old offers us an adult loris, dressed in a ''Torres'' football jumper.
Is it cute, or is it horrible?
Then there's the green iguana, being offered by yet another tout for photographs, among the ladyboys and the ping-pong show touts.
These must be the touts for the ping-pong shows that officials couldn't find earlier this year when they went looking.
We are led by one tout to a doorway and told we are welcome to go inside for free. The drinks will cost a little extra. ''No thanks,'' we say.
On the way back down Soi Bangla, we pass the loris touts again. Phuket's cutesy horror show seems destined to roll on and on, tonight and every night.
Some would say "it's making money as need must"; others would describe it as "a despicable trade'. But it boils down to 2 factors: (i) the willingness of tourists to participate - if everybody said "no", then there would be no trade; & (ii) the attitude of local authorities who could order the police to get out there & confiscate every living creature, loris, iguana & snake & arrest the touts.
Posted by Logic on July 15, 2012 11:29