Rare monkey released back into wild

A pigtail macaque (Macaca leonina) was released back into the Nam Hai Van forest in Da Nang on May 25.

A pigtail macaque released back into the Nam Hai Van forest in Da Nang.
A pigtail macaque released back into the Nam Hai Van forest in Da Nang.

The 1.5 kg animal had been previously kept at the house of Nguyen Thi Hai Huong in the city’s Lien Chieu district.

According to Huong, the animal had been brought from Quang Binh province before living with her family, whose members were not yet aware of the law.

After the case was reported, Lien Chieu district’s forestry rangers explained the law’s regulation on the keeping of wild animal as pet to Huong’s family.

The family then voluntarily agree to hand-over the animal to the force so that it could be released back into the wild.

Northern pigtail macaques are listed as a rare and endangered species. The district’s forest protection force previously released two wild macaques back into the wild in April.