Man detained for killing endangered douc in central Vietnam

Pham Van Thay is being investigated for violating wildlife protection regulations, Ba To District police said Sunday.

Thay shot dead a gray-shanked douc (Pygathrix cinerea) near the border of Ba Kham and Ba Trang communes Tuesday. After local forest rangers caught him, he confessed that he'd bought the gun online for hunting.

The gray-shanked douc is native to Vietnam and found in the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. With only between 550-700 individuals left, it is one of the most endangered primate species in the world and is classified as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN).

Its existence is threatened by hunting and habitat destruction. Many people believe their bones and meat can be used for making traditional medicine.