This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE245.9DCE3680 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Malaysian businessman accused of being one of the world's most notorious traffickers in exotic and endangered animals will face trial in San Francisco, officials said Wednesday. Keng Liang "Anson" Wong, 40, was arrested in Mexico City Monday as part of "Operation Chameleon," a five-year federal sting operation aimed at choking off trade in rare animals such as the giant Komodo dragon lizard. Two Americans have also been arrested on charges of helping Wong with his operation - a profitable pipeline that allegedly smuggled more than 300 animals worth nearly $500,000 dollars into the U.S. between Jan. 1996 and Aug. 1998. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2556097205-8d9> Save elephants stranded in Indonesia, Thais urge BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) - Animal rights activists appealed Wednesday for a rescue operation to save five Thai elephants stranded in Indonesia by the Asian economic crisis. The elephants were part of a group of six sent to Indonesia last year to help its forest department round up wild elephants in the jungles of Sumatra, the activists and zoological authorities said. The department had agreed to pay $600 per elephant per month for the service but ran out of money earlier this year as the rupiah plunged and the Indonesian economy collapsed. The elephants' trainers returned to Thailand but left the animals to fend for themselves because they could not afford to bring them home. One elephant has already died in Indonesia. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2556086578-a0e> ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE245.9DCE3680 <html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"><p><font size=3D3 = color=3D"#000000" face=3D"Times,Serif">SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A = Malaysian businessman accused of being one of the world's most notorious = traffickers in exotic and endangered animals will face trial in San = Francisco, officials said Wednesday. Keng Liang "Anson" Wong, = 40, was arrested in Mexico City Monday as part of "Operation = Chameleon," a five-year federal sting operation aimed at choking = off trade in rare animals such as the giant Komodo dragon lizard. Two = Americans have also been arrested on charges of helping Wong with his = operation - a profitable pipeline that allegedly smuggled more than 300 = animals worth nearly $500,000 dollars into the U.S. between Jan. 1996 = and Aug. 1998. See full story <<font = color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=3D2= 556097205-8d9</u><font color=3D"#000000">></p> <p><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br><br><br><br><br></p> <p align=3Dcenter><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times,Serif"><b><u>Save = elephants stranded in Indonesia, Thais urge</u></b></p> <p><br>BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) - Animal rights activists appealed = Wednesday for a rescue operation to save five Thai elephants stranded in = Indonesia by the Asian economic crisis. The elephants were part of a = group of six sent to Indonesia last year to help its forest department = round up wild elephants in the jungles of Sumatra, the activists and = zoological authorities said. The department had agreed to pay $600 per = elephant per month for the service but ran out of money earlier this = year as the rupiah plunged and the Indonesian economy collapsed. The = elephants' trainers returned to Thailand but left the animals to fend = for themselves because they could not afford to bring them home. One = elephant has already died in Indonesia. See full story <<font = color=3D"#0000FF"><u>http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=3D2= 556086578-a0e</u><font color=3D"#000000">></p> <p><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br></p> </font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></body></html> ------=_NextPart_000_01BDE245.9DCE3680--
