BANGKOK, Thailand - A Thai zoo has been forced to halt orangutan boxing matches as police investigate allegations that the animals were illegally smuggled from Indonesia, a spokeswoman and police said Wednesday.
Police have been investigating the Safari World animal park near Bangkok since November after receiving complaints that it was keeping protected species without a permit.
Authorities ordered the zoo to keep the orangutans confined while a probe was being conducted. Some of the zoo's 115 orangutans have been trained to perform traditional Thai kickboxing onstage for tourists.
The zoo, however, continued to hold the bouts until earlier this week when it received a police warning.
"The unique daily show of orangutan boxing is over," a zoo spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. "We stopped since Sunday after we received the letter from police."
Police said they were investigating the origins of the animals at the urging of Indonesian officials, who claimed last week that the orangutans were smuggled into Thailand from Indonesia.
No arrests have been made. The maximum penalty for trafficking in protected species is four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,000).
Orangutans are endangered according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the case has been an embarrassment for Thailand as it prepares to host the 13th CITES Meeting Oct. 2-14.
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