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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 30 november 2022
Panama confronts illegal trafficking of animals

By KATHIA MARTÍNEZ ment Ministry issues permits
Associated Press to zoos, breeding centers
ANCON, Panama (AP) — In or for the raising and con-
a tropical forest beside the sumption of some sources
Panama Canal, two black- of protein such as deer and
handed spider monkeys iguana, but not for endan-
swing about their wire en- gered species.
closure, balanced by their Biologist Samuel Sucre op-
long tails. They arrived at erates one of those busi-
this government rehabilita- nesses, Natural Tanks,
tion center after environ- which has government per-
mental authorities seized mits allowing him to collect
them from people who amphibians and reptiles
had been keeping them as from the wild and breed
pets. them for sale.
In the coming months, biol- Sucre said the government
ogists and veterinarians will closed down some “ghost
shift them to a diet mirror- farming” operations.
ing what they would eat in “These farms were claim-
the wild, help them re-learn ing they were breeding
skills to survive in the jungle the frogs, but in reality they
and wean them from hu- were just field collecting
man contact. them and then claiming
Panamanian authorities Veterinarian Mariana Parks holds a toucan that was given medical care prior to being released that these were bred (on)
are trying to raise aware- back into the wild, at a Ministry of the Environment rehabilitation center in Panama City, their farm,” Sucre said.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
ness about the dangers Associated Press “The problem with the ille-
to humans and wildlife of gal trade in countries like
keeping wild animals in only in exceptional circum- species trafficking and 14 support of citizens gener- mine, developing coun-
their homes. This month, stances. “People don’t un- cases of extraction of spe- ally so that when they see tries, people don’t under-
Panama hosted the World derstand they can’t buy a cies that were protected these cases they report stand the value of that re-
Wildlife Conference, where wild animal from someone or in danger of extinction. them.” Earlier this year, the source,” Sucre said.
participants voted to tight- who doesn’t have authori- Shirley Binder, an adviser government introduced a The people who want to
en restrictions on the inter- zation to sell it,” said Felipe to the Environment Ministry, catalog with photographs sell animals go to residents
national trade in animals Cruz, the Environment Min- said the real extent of the and technical details to as- of rural areas who have
and plants. istry’s adviser on environ- problem could be greater. sist in the identification of very little income and offer
Black-handed spider mon- mental crimes. “The country is big, there the most commonly traf- payment per frog.
keys are listed in the most “The environment can’t could be cases that we ficked species. He advocates instead for
endangered category of take any more. We’re at a don’t have,” Binder said. The plan was to distribute finding sustainable ways to
international species, and critical point.” “We have formed strategic it to security, border and commercialize some spe-
Panama’s Ministry of En- From January through Sep- alliances with security sec- customs authorities nation- cies so people can learn
vironment say they are in tember, Panama’s Attor- tors that now are conscious wide. Panamanian law the value of the natural
“critical danger.” Trade in ney General’s Office had of the environmental issue, strictly limits the possession resources and make a
the monkeys is permitted recorded 19 cases of wild ... but we also need the of wildlife. The Environ- living.q

Russian diplomat says prisoner swap with U.S. remains possible

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia verge of agreement on a Tuesday, adding that a about to be made, but it sion at a Russian penal col-
and the United States have prisoner exchange, a se- deal is still possible before never happened,” he said ony in Mordovia, about 350
repeatedly been on the nior Russian diplomat said the year’s end. without elaborating. kilometers (210 miles) east
The Biden administration “If that happened, if would of Moscow, after a Russian
has been trying for months undoubtedly send a posi- court had rejected her ap-
to negotiate the release tive signal that not every- peal of her August’s con-
of WNBA star Brittney Gri- thing is so utterly hopeless in viction.
ner and another American Russian-U.S. relations,” Ry- The all-star center with
jailed in Russia, Michigan abkov added. “Such a sig- the WNBA’s Phoenix Mer-
corporate security execu- nal would be appropriate, cury and two-time Olym-
tive Paul Whelan, including if we could work it out.” pic gold medal winner
through a possible prisoner He reiterated Moscow’s was detained in February
swap with Moscow. call for the U.S. to discuss when customs agents said
Asked by reporters whether the issue discreetly and re- they found vape canisters
a swap is possible before frain from making public containing cannabis oil in
the year’s end, Russia’s statements. He lamented her luggage at Moscow’s
Deputy Foreign Minister that “Washington has been Sheremetyevo Airport.
Sergei Ryabkov respond- abusing ‘loudspeaker di- At her trial, Griner admit-
ed that “there always is a plomacy’ instead of a qui- ted to having the canisters
chance.” et one, which didn’t help us in her luggage but testified
“Regrettably, there have to do business.” she packed them inadver-
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is
escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside been a few occasions Earlier this month, Briner tently in her haste to make
Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 4, 2022. when it seemed that a began serving a nine-year her flight and had no crimi-
Associated Press decision in favor of it was sentence for drug posses- nal intent. q