As night falls, a team of wildlife officers and veterinarians, in a carefully rehearsed routine, enter the lemur enclosure, nets in hand. One by one, the lemurs are captured, given quick health checks, and secured in travel crates.

Nearby, tortoises are also readied for transport in long, narrow cases lined with grass and straw. Each tortoise is labelled before being placed inside. Later, at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the Thai capital, Bangkok, the officers refill water dispensers and peer through the crates’ ventilation holes, checking on the animals before departure.