Two South African conservationists met with Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit on 20 August at Phuket Provincial Hall to persuade public officials to allow them to transform Koh Tanan into Monkeyland. The small island in Chalong Bay lies just northwest of Koh Lon, and the idea is to build a primate preserve modelled on an existing park in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.

With approval in-hand from a committee of local officials, Zambian-born Tony Blignaut, chief executive officer of Primates Resort (PTY), Ltd., and partner Ronald Derek Taurog of the Touch a Monkey’s Heart Foundation detailed plans to create an education centre and a primate habitat as a new tourist draw in Chalong Bay.

“The project’s goal is preservation of wildlife species and maintaining the environment,” Blignaut explained.

“Awareness of the world’s environmental problems is increasing all the time, and we believe that Monkeyland, as a centre of conservation, can be an important educational resource.”

The company has built two previous successful preserves. Monkeyland opened in 1998 on 23ha of land in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, featuring 400 primates from 15 different species. Birds of Eden opened in 2005 on 2.3ha next to Monkeyland, housing 200 bird specimens from 150 species. The two preserves draw 12,000 visitors per year. Phuket is the company’s next development objective, Blignaut said, because of its suitability in atmosphere, the efficiency of available facilities, and the large number of tourists visiting the island every year.

Planned for exhibition and research at the Phuket facility are around 100 primates from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, as well as from Africa. These will be brought to the Koh Tanan habitat early during the preserve’s development to give the primates time to adapt to the new environment. Blignaut said that the preserve is expected to open for visitors between April and December of next year.

The company will establish a research institution on Koh Aew along with an education centre open to the public. The goal is to build a world-class primate preservation centre. The primate habitat will be located on 2ha of land on Koh Tanan. Tourists will be ferried to Monkeyland from Chalong Pier to a 60-metre pier that the company will build on Koh Tanan, providing 40 stalls with free rental for area residents to open businesses.
“This project will increase tourism revenue to local people,” Blignaut said. “A committee (of local officials and municipal representatives) has already considered this project, and they have also considered the environmental impact, such as on the sea and on the island. We have coordinated with many government departments in Thailand, and mostly they agree with this project because it supports tourism in Thailand.” The project has completed 80 percent of the planning process, he added.

“We are a nonprofit organization, and we are not expecting a return on our investment,” Blignaut said. “The project’s goals are to preserve primates.”