Activists call for gorilla’s release after it remains in captivity, four years after it was supposed to be freed

In a zoo located at the seventh floor of a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, a gorilla has remained inside her “filthy cages,” despite previous announcement of her freedom back in 2015.

Four years ago, 30-year-old Bua Noi was about to be set free after the rooftop zoo was ordered to close over a lack of appropriate permits and needed paperwork. However, she remains inside the cages to this day. Bua Noi was just a baby when she was bought from Germany for three million baht (£77,400) in 1992.

Now, animal rights activists are calling for her release and the zoo’s closure. Many tourists also voiced out their concern on social media about the animals looking to be in a bad shape.

“I don’t think animals should be locked up in such unnatural habitats. I hope to help all other animals being held captive in this high-rise zoo as well,” Sinjira Apaitan, the petition organizer at that time, said.

Officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ordered the closure of the zoo in 2015 due to lack of paperwork. However, despite their calls to remove the animals, Bua Noi stayed inside the zoo as owners signed an agreement to take better care of her.

Kanit Sermsirimongkol, owner and director of Pata Zoo, claimed there is no problem with the animals living in his zoo.

“Before opening, we consulted zoologists and veterinarians and only selected animals that were suitable for the zoo. And they have been treated well,” he said according to Daily Mail. “The criticism doesn’t concern me because we know her best.”

Pata Zoo is the only rooftop zoo in Thailand. It is located on the seventh floor in a department store. Aside from Bua Noi, it also holds other wild animals such as chimpanzees, leopards, reptiles, and birds.

“We have been taking care of Bua Noi like our own daughter. I know that we will have to find her a suitable new home one day, but it’s not a good idea to immediately release her back into the wild without teaching her how to survive on her own.”