Nghe An youth sentenced to 3 years in prison for killing red-shanked douc langur

Ly, his wife and some acquaintances from Nghe An went to Son Tra Nature Reserve (Da Nang) to secretly set up a hunting camp. Two individuals of the red-shanked douc langur listed in the Vietnam Red Book were killed by this group.

On May 15, the People's Court of Da Nang City, in its appeal hearing, rejected the appeal and upheld the three-year prison sentence for Nguyen Van Ly (29 years old, residing in Tan Ky district, Nghe An) for violating regulations on the protection of animals on the list of endangered, rare and precious species prioritized for protection.

According to the indictment, in March 2015, Ly, his wife Le Thi Lan (26 years old), his father Nguyen Van Hoi (53 years old), Vi Van Hoang (50 years old) and Vi Van Son (40 years old, all residing in Tien Ky commune, Tan Ky district, Nghe An) brought many tools such as traps, knives, and sharp tools from Nghe An to Da Nang.

Defendant Ly in the dock. Photo: NT

This group sneaked into Son Tra Nature Reserve, set up a tent at night to hunt animals, kill them, dry their meat, smoke it for food and save it for sale. Ly's group trapped a weasel, a deer, a squirrel, and two red-shanked douc langurs - listed in group IIB as endangered in the Vietnam Red Book.

Authorities then arrested the group and seized 3.11 kg of dried meat, bones, skin, and organs of red-shanked douc langurs. Authorities also seized 90 steel traps and 10 clip traps used to hunt wild animals.

On July 13, 2016, the People's Court of Son Tra District (Da Nang) sentenced Vi Van Son to 3 years in prison and Vi Van Hoang to 2 years and 6 months in prison for the same crime of violating regulations on the protection of animals on the list of endangered, rare and precious species prioritized for protection.

On March 4, the People's Court of Son Tra District (Da Nang City) opened a first-instance trial and sentenced Nguyen Van Ly to 3 years in prison, Nguyen Van Hoi to 2 years in prison, and Le Thi Lan to 2 years in prison, but with a suspended sentence. Ly later filed an appeal for a reduced sentence.

The red-shanked douc langur, known as the “queen of primates”, lives on the Son Tra peninsula. Recently, this animal was chosen as the identity image of Da Nang city on the occasion of APEC 2017.

According to VNE