Legal issues to control animal epidemics caused by the wildlife trade : A case study of burchell’s zebras and quagga zebras

Abstract

            This research article is a part of the thesis titled “Legal measures to control animal epidemics caused by the wildlife trade: a case study of zebra”.  As Thailand permitted the import and export of two zebra species: the Equus burchelli and the Equus quagga which was later found the outbreak of African Horse Sickness (AHS) in April 2020. It was diagnosed by epidemiological investigations as deriving from imported infected and asymptomatic from those zebras. Disease outbreaks spread in several provinces and killed many household pets. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Thailand requested reinstatement as a nation free from AHS outbreaks. The findings were that although importing and exporting of Burchell's zebras and Quagga zebras into Thailand is legal, these species are unspecified in the Animal Epidemics Act B.E. 2558 (2015). It was neither conserved wild animal, nor protected wild animal and not the wildlife which was listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973). Therefore, there is no control over its import, export or transit including strict prevention and control of animal disease outbreaks caused by them. Gaps in importing them still remain in preventing and controlling AHS outbreaks in Thailand. Thus, the author suggests that there should be resolved by improving and amending so that legal measures on preventing and controlling animal disease outbreaks caused by wildlife trade will be more efficient.