17 endangered macaques illegally captured on Con Dao Islands

At around 2:30 p.m., Con Dao National Park rangers, in coordination with local authorities, caught Nguyen Minh Phong, 38, as he was moving four boxes containing the macaques from a forest to Ben Dam Port. Upon being discovered, Phong threw two of the boxes into the sea and tried to flee, but was apprehended.

The 17 macaques, with a total weight of 33.5 kg, included 10 that were already dead, while the remaining animals were found in weak health. Phong claimed he had been hired by a neighbor to transport the macaques to the beach, where they were set to be shipped to the mainland for consumption. He said he was unaware of the origin of the animals.

Authorities have seized the macaques and launched an investigation into the incident.

Crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are classified as an endangered species in Vietnam, and their capture and trade are strictly prohibited for commercial purposes.