PHUKET: Animal activists are likely to be angry at pop princess Rinanna for posing with a slow loris - something tourists are being asked to never do because the animals are endangered.
The cute, big-eyed creatures are protected in Thailand, where using them in photo opportunitites like the shot that Rihanna took is regarded as abuse.
The cuddly creatures have their teeth pulled and are cruelly treated just so unthinking tourists will pay money to have a souvenir shot taken with them.
What's worse is that it's Loris Awareness Week, with a campaign beginning to save Thailand's lorises from tourists like Rihanna and their mean, mistreating owners.
Epicentre of the loris horror show is in Phuket's west coast holiday hub of Patong, where Rihanna most likely took her own photo, and probably had to pay a tout to shoot it.
Police are supposed to make sure that the lorises are cleared from the tourist walking street, Soi Bangla, where transgender ladyboys in revealing costumes also gather to ask tourists for cash for photos, even if the tourist is a superstar.
A Phuket project has just begun with animal activists trying to raise the first $5000 for a rescue centre for the lorises.
Slow Loris Awareness Week was going along slowly - until Rihanna posted her ''selfie'' on Instagram along with other shots of her petting elephants and with ladyboys in the background.
The cuddly loris critters often die in captivity from too many tourist cuddles and mistreatment by owners only interested in making money.
The manager of the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, where volunteers also now hope to set up a similar centre to save the lorises on Phuket, said today: ''Rihanna is a celebrity and lorises are protected animals.
''Now that she has posted this photograph, her fans are likely to want to come to Thailand to do the same thing. This needs to stop,'' said Pamorn Samoantamit.
''We are trying to get people on board to save these creatures through Loris Awareness Week, especially people at resorts on Phuket.
''We don't bother going to Patong because these loris touts are protected, even though the animals are not. The touts are protected by 'mafia.'
''Lots of police in Patong see these animals being mistreated, and do nothing. The people mistreating the lorises just keep coming back, night after night.''
The chief administrator of the Kathu District, Veera Kerdsirimongkol, oversees Patong. He said today: ''We try every now and again to raid these loris touts. But most of the time, we have little success.
''As soon as we head towards them, they are tipped off and disappear from the streets until we have gone.''
Rihanna's experience is likely to put tourism in Thailand in a different light for many. One of her twitter comments reads:
Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw a Thai woman pull a live bird,2 turtles,razors,shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y
Whoops, there goes Phuket and Thailand's family tourism reputation.
The cute, big-eyed creatures are protected in Thailand, where using them in photo opportunitites like the shot that Rihanna took is regarded as abuse.
The cuddly creatures have their teeth pulled and are cruelly treated just so unthinking tourists will pay money to have a souvenir shot taken with them.
What's worse is that it's Loris Awareness Week, with a campaign beginning to save Thailand's lorises from tourists like Rihanna and their mean, mistreating owners.
Epicentre of the loris horror show is in Phuket's west coast holiday hub of Patong, where Rihanna most likely took her own photo, and probably had to pay a tout to shoot it.
Police are supposed to make sure that the lorises are cleared from the tourist walking street, Soi Bangla, where transgender ladyboys in revealing costumes also gather to ask tourists for cash for photos, even if the tourist is a superstar.
A Phuket project has just begun with animal activists trying to raise the first $5000 for a rescue centre for the lorises.
Slow Loris Awareness Week was going along slowly - until Rihanna posted her ''selfie'' on Instagram along with other shots of her petting elephants and with ladyboys in the background.
The cuddly loris critters often die in captivity from too many tourist cuddles and mistreatment by owners only interested in making money.
The manager of the Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, where volunteers also now hope to set up a similar centre to save the lorises on Phuket, said today: ''Rihanna is a celebrity and lorises are protected animals.
''Now that she has posted this photograph, her fans are likely to want to come to Thailand to do the same thing. This needs to stop,'' said Pamorn Samoantamit.
''We are trying to get people on board to save these creatures through Loris Awareness Week, especially people at resorts on Phuket.
''We don't bother going to Patong because these loris touts are protected, even though the animals are not. The touts are protected by 'mafia.'
''Lots of police in Patong see these animals being mistreated, and do nothing. The people mistreating the lorises just keep coming back, night after night.''
The chief administrator of the Kathu District, Veera Kerdsirimongkol, oversees Patong. He said today: ''We try every now and again to raid these loris touts. But most of the time, we have little success.
''As soon as we head towards them, they are tipped off and disappear from the streets until we have gone.''
Rihanna's experience is likely to put tourism in Thailand in a different light for many. One of her twitter comments reads:
Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw a Thai woman pull a live bird,2 turtles,razors,shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her pu$$y
Whoops, there goes Phuket and Thailand's family tourism reputation.
her posting a pic with her and a slow loris is the best thing that could happened. why? coz this news getting world wide and might make DSI to pull action to end it.... dont blame her... thank her.
Posted by frog on September 21, 2013 13:23