Two rare langurs killed in Pu Mat National Park
Forest rangers in the central province of Nghe An have detained five local men for allegedly killing two langurs in the Pu Mat National Park.
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| A male Phayre’s langur. (Photo: akive.org) |
They were caught in the forest with two dead langurs, a live wild pig, bones of other wild pigs and trapping equipment.
Cuong said the men came from the province’s mountainous Tuong Duong district and travelled to Con Cuong district, where the park is based, to hunt the animals, carrying guns and knives.
The dead langurs were of the Phayre’s langur species, which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN). The mammal is endemic to Southeast Asia.
Park authorities have transferred the men to local police for further investigation.
Vietnamese law prohibits the hunting, killing, caging as well as transporting and trading of wild animals. The severity of the penalty depends on the ranking of the affected creatures in IUCN’s red book.
According to the park, local rangers are working closely with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife to patrol the jungle and reduce illegal hunting and poaching.
