Bryan Christy

Here is a terribly generous summary of my trip to Southeast Asia apearing in today’s Malay Mail. What is not said is the terribly difficult work Azrina and others in the region do on behalf of wildlife. (Read her related article today, “Please Don’t Eat These Animals,” linked to Chinese New Year.) This trip was very rewarding. Not only did I have a chance to speak to a variety of people, but also I was able to go behind the scenes at the Singapore Zoo’s reptile house, to visit a wildlife rescue center on the Thai-Burma border, to speak with smugglers and see their wares. Well, here is today’s article:

Enlightening words on illegal trade

February 3, 2009 Category: News

Judging by the response to author Bryan Christy’s book tour to the region, the story of The Lizard King speaks volumes in terms of wildlife conservation, especially the need for more action to be taken to curb the illegal trade in endangered species.

Christy was in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore for two weeks prior to the Chinese New Year to promote and discuss his book on wildlife smuggling – a “true story of a crafty reptile smuggler and a US Federal agent” who tries to nab him. While the use of the book to raise awareness among Malaysians may not have been intentional, the reception to his appearances in the region and subsequent discussions about the state of illegal wildlife trade, told another story. (more…)

The Lizard King has gotten good attention in Malaysia, including two-pages of coverage in a single issue of the New-Straits Times, and similar multi-story coverage in The Star and the Malay Mail (see the blog archive posts).  All three newspapers have published letters to the editor in response to their news stories and I am told there has never been so much coverage of wildlife trafficking in such a short period of time in Peninsular Malaysia before.  Publicity is one thing, change is another…

On November 11, the Malay Mail published a profile of me entitled “Wildlife Trade Flourishes in Fortress Malaysia:  weak enforcement laws attract smugglers.”  Yesterday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued this letter promising legislative reform: 

 
To the Editor
November 27, 2008      Malay Mail
Based on the input provided by Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), the government does acknowledge that the existing legislation, Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (Act 76), is inadequate in combating wildlife crime especially the poaching and smuggling of wildlife in large quantities. The department through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) is formulating a new legislation with strengthened provisions on penalties to combat and deter such wildlife crimes.

(more…)

The Malay Mail has run an impressive series of articles on the illegal wildlife trade.  Yesterday saw a story on The Lizard King’s role in illuminating the need for stronger wildlife laws in Malaysia.  Today appears a double-barelled feature on The Lizard King and the importance of Malaysia to controlling the flow of illegal wildlife.  You can read the stories with their photos as they ran here.  Malay Mail Lizard King Stories .  Following is the text:

MALAY MAIL TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2008 News

Wildlife trade flourishes in Fortress Malaysia:
Weak enforcement laws attract smugglers
By SHEILA RAHMAN

WILDLIFE smugglers search the world for countries with weaker enforcement
policies and when they find one, they route their illegal trade
through that country, said lawyer Bryan Christy, author of widely-acclaimed
book The Lizard King –The True Crimes and Passions of the
World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers.

“To understand this, one needs to only look at the number of high-technology
multinational companies that have made Malaysia home. Companies
recognise when laws are favourable to business. So do smugglers.
Strong protections for investment attract good companies; weak protections
for wildlife attract others.”

(more…)