INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The young male was found drugged
A Russian man has been arrested in Bali
on suspicion of trying to smuggle a young orangutan out of Indonesia
The two-year-old male was found drugged inside a rattan basket when Andrei Zhestkov was stopped at security at Denpasar airport on Friday
Mr Zhestkov is said to have told officials he was given the primate by a friend who bought it for $3,000
Orangutans are a protected species and Mr Zhestkov could face up to five years in prison if convicted
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency will look after him
"The
Russian also had injections and drugs in his bag
He said he planned to re-administer the drugs when they transited" in South Korea, Dewa Delanata, from the airport's quarantine office, told
Two live geckos and five lizards were also found in the passenger's luggage
According to the authorities, Mr Zhestkov, 27, said he was convinced by his friend, also Russian, that it would be okay to take the
orangutan back to Russia to keep as a pet
The animal is being looked after by the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The animal was found drugged in a rattan basket
Orangutans face threats
from poachers and farmers in Indonesia
The Tapanuli orangutan, found in isolated forests in Sumatra, has been described by conservationists as the most endangered great ape
