TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A hunter admitted to police that he shot and killed a fleeing baboon on Monday (March 27), and four other suspects are under investigation.
On Monday afternoon, in a house on Zhongzheng Road, Fugang District, Yangmei District, Taoyuan City, an olive baboon who had fled Taoyuan for 16 days was caught with a net. However, Bureau of Agriculture staff soon discovered that the primate had suffered a gunshot wound and, despite emergency treatment, died soon after.
The police immediately launched an investigation and summoned 13 people including the Taoyuan Agricultural Bureau, Hsinchu County Agricultural Bureau, and Leofoo Village Theme Park. According to UDN, on Tuesday (March 28) morning, a hunter surnamed Lin was transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office for investigation for violating the Wildlife Conservation Act.
Lin at the Yangmei Branch of the Taoyuan City Police Department on Monday. (Photo from Taoyuan City Police Station)
The Taoyuan City Bureau of Agriculture stated that Lin was not commissioned by the department to assist in capturing the animal, nor had the right to film it. Staff at Leofoo Village fired tranquilizer darts at the monkeys but missed and did not know the monkeys had been shot.
After police questioned 13 people involved in capturing the monkey, Lin was listed as a suspect. One staff member each from the Taoyuan City Agricultural Bureau, Hsinchu City Agricultural Bureau, and Liufu Village, as well as another hunter, were listed as involved in the case and were transferred to the procuratorate for investigation for violating wildlife protection. protection law.
Police investigations revealed that Lin was a legal hunter with a shotgun license and was contracted by the Hsinchu County Agricultural Bureau. When the baboons were found hiding in a house in Tomioka, Lin and three agricultural department workers entered the house first.
(Photo from Taoyuan City Police Station)
At that time, the house was pitch black, and the staff of the agricultural department asked Lin to search the house with a flashlight. However, the baboon reportedly rushed towards Lin, prompting him to shoot, hitting the baboon in the left chest and out the back.
The baboon began to bleed profusely, and agricultural department personnel and Leofoo Village staff then entered the house. Fearing another attack, the monkey was sedated.
They then caught the animal in a net. After they removed it from the house, they found it was bleeding badly. The personnel of the agricultural department rushed the baboon to Leofoo Village for rescue, but the baboon died of his injuries.
(Photo from Taoyuan City Police Station)
Lin admitted to Yangmei police that he had killed the baboon and told them he was a legally licensed hunter with a license to operate a shotgun. He said that when he was hunting birds in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, the Hsinchu County Agriculture Bureau asked him to help capture baboons.
He said he was concerned that the baboons might attack those present, and claimed he only shot after getting their consent. However, employees of the Hsinchu County Agricultural Bureau who were present denied that they had issued such a permit.
Police confirmed that Lin was indeed a legally licensed hunter with a license to use a shotgun. They stated that he was not commissioned by the Taoyuan Agricultural Bureau to participate in the baboon hunting activities in Taoyuan City.
(Photo by Central News Agency)
Since the staff of Taoyuan Agricultural Bureau, Hsinchu Agricultural Bureau, Liufu Village and Lin have different opinions, the police will conduct a more in-depth investigation.
