Monkeys Smuggled into Japan May Be New Species

Narita, Chiba Pref., June 11 (Jiji Press)--Endangered rare monkeys that have been caught being smuggled into Japan from Thailand may belong to a new species, it was learned Tuesday. The Chiba prefectural police and Tokyo Customs have arrested a man suspected of trying to smuggle the monkeys and other rare animals in violation of the customs act. Building painter Kenya Takanishi, 40, from Tokyo allegedly attempted to bring a total of 17 creatures into Japan in September last year. The smuggled animals include mice and lizards, as well as monkeys and turtles the trade of which is regulated by the Washington Convention, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to the prefectural police and other sources, experts identified two monkeys as belonging to the genus Galago of the family Galagidae. The experts were not able to identify their species, raising the possibility that the monkeys belong to an undiscovered species. The monkeys are about 15 centimeters long, excluding their tails, and have gray fur and large eyes and ears. The animals were discovered when customs officers at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, inspected Takanishi's suitcase. Authorities discovered the creatures hidden in small drawstring bags and inside bamboo baskets. Takanishi said he was paid 100,000 yen to bring the animals, purchased by another person at a market in Bangkok, to Narita, according to sources. On Tuesday, the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office indicted him on charges of violating the customs act. END