[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 59 (Wednesday, March 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14727-14728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7314]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Emergency Exemption: Issuance; Endangered Species

    On March 6, 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 
issued a permit (PRT-053151) to the Centers for Disease Control/
National Center for Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia, to import 
biological samples collected post-mortem from one captive-born female 
Sumatran orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus abelii), and two male and one female 
captive-held/captive-born Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) 
from the Singapore Zoological Gardens, Singapore. The 30-day comment 
period required by Section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act was 
waived. The Service determined that an emergency affecting the health 
and life of the remaining Singapore Zoo population of 26 orangutans 
existed, and that no reasonable alternative was available to the 
applicant for several reasons.
    The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) received a request from the 
Agricultural and Veterinary Authority of Singapore for assistance in 
determining the cause of death of two Bornean orangutans that died 
unexpectedly at the Singapore Zoological Gardens on January 20th and 
21st, 2002. The request asked for assistance in determining whether the 
cause of death of these specimens was infectious in nature. The 
Singapore Authorities wanted to rule out two possible viral infections, 
Coxsackievirus B and encephalomyelitis virus (EMCV). They do not have 
the capability to conduct these same tests in Singapore. The Singapore 
Zoo also experienced two deaths of orangutans at their facility prior 
to the recent loss of these specimens. Tissue samples from all four 
specimens are being imported to determine whether the cause of death 
may be from the same disease vector.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has information collection 
approval from OMB through March 31, 2004, OMB Control Number 1018-0093. 
Federal Agencies may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
current valid OMB control number.
    Documents and other information submitted with these applications 
are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy 
Act and Freedom of Information Act, by any party who submits a written 
request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this notice to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division 
of Management Authority, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 700, Arlington, 
Virginia 22203, telephone 703/358-2104 or fax 703/358-2281.


[[Page 14728]]


    Dated: March 15, 2002.
Timothy J. Van Norman,
Chief, Branch of Permits (International), Division of Management 
Authority.
[FR Doc. 02-7314 Filed 3-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P