Sentences from six to 13 years in prison were given to nine golden monkey poachers along with fines from 2,000 to 4,000 yuan, respectively, according to sources from the Hubei Provincial Forestry Bureau.
According to the People's Court of the Shennongjia Forest Zone, central China's Hubei Province, three of the convicted, Lu Wuyun, Li Xiangjun and Li Xianglong, all come from local villages in the Shennongjia forest zone, and they killed two adult golden monkeys and captured a young one in September of 1997.
The young golden monkey later died at Lu's house. Lu sold the skin of the three golden monkeys to Xu Mingwu for 700 yuan.
Early this year, Xu Mingwu contacted Ji Dehong to sell the monkey skin and were arrested by Shiyan police on May 14.
On May 18, Li Xiangjun, Li Yuanxing and Li Yuanfu captured a young golden monkey at the Shennongjia Nature Reserve, and sold the monkey to Lu Wubing for 1,500 yuan.
Zhang Song and Li Yuanfu seized a baby golden monkey at the nature reserve on May 5 this year. They were arrested by local police before they sold the monkey.
(People’s Daily 10/19/2000)
