In full swing: assessment of trade in orang-utans and ... - WWF UK

The bird markets on Java and Bali can be considered to consist of a (loose) network, within which animals are being
transported from large markets to smaller outlets, and from one side of the island to the other. A few of the traders at
the larger markets, most notably Pramuka bird market in Jakarta and the Kupang bird market in Surabaya, seem to hold
key positions in the network. Both actors in the trade, as well as individuals monitoring the trade, reported these two
markets were key nodes in Java’s primate trade. Many traders that did not have gibbons and orang-utans on offer at the
time of research indicated that it would be possible to obtain one, possibly within a week. This strongly suggests that
the connections readily exist to transport animals both to, and within, Java.
Vendors at the Pasunudan bird market in Sukabumi, an area surrounded by (small) populations of wild Javan Gibbons,
informed us that the Javan Gibbons (or any gibbon for that matter) were last offered for sale at their market around 1998.
This assertion was consistent with the observations of individuals monitoring this market for the last seven years who
never encountered gibbons (or orang-utans). If gibbons would arrive at Pasunudan market, these would quickly be
transferred to markets in Bandung or Jakarta as prices paid for gibbons were considerably higher in larger cities (Resit
Sözer, PPS Cikanagan, pers. comm. to Vincent Nijman, 2003).
Many of the larger cities have more than one bird market. Differences exist in the size, species on offer, amount of buyer
traffic, prices for traded animals, and the amount of monitoring by conservation officials at individual markets. Quite
often, when inquiring about the availability of gibbons or orang-utans, vendors will not just offer their own animals for
sale, but actively help prospective buyers with their search. Once an animal has been purchased, the vendor-guide will
then receive a commission from the trader who actually sold the primate(s).
This interlinked network, in which animals are transferred between vendors within markets, between markets in the same
city, and between cities, provinces and islands, makes it difficult to accurately pinpoint which primary traders actually
drive the market, where they are situated, and who are merely middlemen.
Turn-over
Hardly any data were received on the turn-over of gibbons and/or orang-utans at bird markets. When asked directly,
vendors only proffered vague answers, indicating that a gibbon could be sold in a matter of days but that it was equally
likely that it would remain at the market for months before a buyer came along. Many vendors reported that gibbons
and orang-utans could be ordered on-site and that in a matter of days or weeks, an animal could be made available. In
all likelihood, when an order is placed, the vendor will source the desired animal from other vendors or other markets.
Repeat visits to the same markets often reveal daily fluctuations in the number of primates present and it appears that
the same individual gibbon or orang-utan might show up on display at different markets. As indicated above, there seem
to be strong links between vendors of different markets and different sellers that frequent the markets, again suggesting
considerable movements of animals between markets.
From the data received from several NGOs that monitor trade in bird markets it was often not possible to deduce whether
or not the individuals observed in one survey were the same or different from the previous visit – i.e. assessing market
turnover was problematic. Especially when markets are monitored on a weekly basis or even more frequent intervals,
the same animal may be observed for weeks in succession. Even when an individual is no longer seen at a particular
market does not necessarily indicate that it has been sold as it may simply have been moved out of sight or the animal
may have moved to another market.
The volume of trade is difficult to assess, but on average, analysis of data from all markets from the period 1994-2003
show that about one in three visits to a bird market yielded positive data on the presence of gibbons and/or orang-utans.
IN FULL SWING:ASSESSMENT OF TRADE IN ORANGUTANS AND GIBBONS ON JAVA AND BALI,INDONESIA 25