ONE of the loneliest gorillas in the world is set to spend her 41st Christmas trapped in a tiny concrete cage inside a shopping mall.
Bua Noi has lived behind bars in Thailand for most of her life with shoppers constantly gawping at her as they walk past.
The gorilla has been caged up for decades in the widely criticised Pata Zoo which sits above a supermarket.
This allows passers-by and shoppers to gaze in at the unloved mammal who is unable to ever leave.
On Christmas, when all the people go home to their families, Bua will stay locked up in her rusting enclosure all alone.
A damming report back in 2019 detailed how Bua had been pulling out her hair and anxiously rolling around in her isolated cage.
Footage also shows the lonely gorilla looking visibly depressed and staring through the bars of her old cage.
All of this has made Bua one of the most well-known living gorillas with her being at the centre of dozens of campaigns aimed at getting her free.
These calls have come mainly from international campaign groups but even celebrities such as Cher.
PETA have spent over 12 years trying to relocate Bua but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
But the owner of Bua has constantly ignored calls to give her a better quality of life and says he will only release her if he is paid £700,000, according to reports.
This leaves her spending another festive season alone and unwanted.
Even the environment minister of Thailand, Varawut Silpa-archa, has made it clear he wishes to see her moved to a sanctuary.
“We collected donations from Bua Noi’s supporters. But the problem is that the owner refuses to sell Bua Noi.
“When he does agree to sell her, the price is too high. Bua Noi is considered private property so we cannot do anything to remove her.”
Bua was first shipped off to the shopping centre from Germany when she was just a one-year-old.
She has been trapped in her cramped and dirty cage ever since.
Jason Baker, PETA Asia’s Senior Vice President, has been campaigning for the gorilla’s release since 2012.
He has been vocal about his grave concerns for her health and wellbeing.
He said: “Bua Noi the gorilla is suffering from extreme psychological distress in the concrete enclosure to which she has been confined alone for nearly 40 years.
“PETA has offered multiple times to transfer her and all the other animals at Pata Zoo to reputable sanctuaries, where they would have trees to climb, grass to roll in, and other animals to socialise with.”
Pata Zoo has defended their treatment of Bua Noi, with the director claiming criticism of her welfare “doesn’t concern me”.
Pata Zoo is not only home to the sombre gorilla but also more than 200 other animal species including tigers, bears and pythons.
Many of the animals live in similar conditions to Bua and spend their days wallowing about in pity.
A chilling report by International Animal Rescue has even claimed that some animals were left to die in their cages.
PETA has strongly condemned the zoo for years with Jason Baker, the organisation’s Asia Senior Vice President labelling it “one of the worst zoos in the world”.
He said: “Every animal at Pata Zoo is enduring a life sentence – something not handed to even the hardest Thai criminals – for simply being different to humans.
“This shabby facility is internationally condemned as one of the worst zoos in the world.
“All the animals held captive there are confined to pitifully small, barren enclosures and denied sunshine, fresh air, and opportunities to exercise or engage in behaviour that’s meaningful to them.”
“But they could have a meaningful life if they were transferred to a facility that would provide the mental stimulation and physical comfort of the naturalistic environment they need.”
The controversial zoo is located on the sixth and seventh floor of Pata Pinklao Department Store and has operated since 1983.
