Why you shouldn’t have your Photos Taken with Gibbons in Koh Samui

Picture of Thai Gibbon

Upon booking a stay at the luxurious Shasa Resort & Residences at Koh Samui, many guests often decide where to go or what to do in their bedrooms. Contemplating which of the many Koh Samui attractions should be visited first can be a daunting task for anyone riled up with the sheer thought of endless possibilities.

However, not all of these crowd-drawers are in the best interest of all parties involved, especially entrepreneurs who deal some sort of business involving the use of gibbons.

Although it is illegal in Thailand to extract these animals from the wild due to their dwindling numbers, businessmen are still placing orders for as many gibbons as needed to continue their businesses’ operations.

Nine species of gibbons within SE Asia are currently listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In Thailand, the scarce number of these furry little beasts is attributed to several factors, including the destruction of their natural habitats.

In addition, ShaSa Resort management employees explain that these mammals are being poached for their meat, their medicine, and pet trade – all of which has the potential to rake in hefty amounts of cash, which is why the law of gibbon extraction is repeatedly broken.

In order to acquire gibbon babies, their protective mothers are shot dead. The stolen babes are then sold as expensive pets, or used in business establishments as attractions. At some bars, they’re locked up in cages as eye-candy for incoming customers.

By the time they reach the age of six or seven, these gibbons tend to get aggressive. Owners of these apes then resort to filing their canines down and placing a collar around their necks. Other entrepreneurs often resort to killing their “crowd-drawers”, and replacing them with newborn gibbons.

At popular beaches, vendors who approach tourists and offer them a chance to have their pictures taken (in exchange for a certain amount of money) with gibbons usually subject these animals to harsh living conditions. Moreover, keep in mind that up to ten gibbons can be shot dead in order to obtain a single baby gibbon.

The management of ShaSa Resort frowns upon such practices, and firmly believes that these beasts should have never been included in the list of legit Koh Samui attractions as displayed at other websites. To help put an end to this cruel trade, vacationists are advised to resist the temptation of having their pictures taken with the poor monkeys.