TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Top Taoyuan Department of Agriculture officials on Tuesday (March 28) bowed at the body of the deceased baboon and apologized to the public for the firing of live ammunition at the animal and the posing of staff members for photos rather than tending to its urgent medical needs.
Chen Kuan-i (陳冠義), director of the Taoyuan Department of Agriculture, told the media that during the process of tracking down the escaped baboon, some members of the department failed to protect the animal or respect its life by engaging in inappropriate behavior, reported CNA. Chen vowed that the department will conduct an in-depth review, including an investigation of himself, and those responsible will be assessed by the performance appraisal committee for appropriate penalties.
He expressed regret, saying this was the last result he wanted to see. As for why the baboon was shot and how the hunter was allowed to carry live ammunition in Taoyuan City, Chen said that police will be asked to step up the investigation and on behalf of the department, he expressed regret and anger.
In addition, regarding an incident in which Lu Chi-yeh (盧紀燁), a special committee member of the department, took photos of the baboon at the moment it was captured and said he wanted to show his daughter, Chen said that this behavior is not a standard operating procedure, was inappropriate, and should be reviewed.
The olive baboon appeared in Taoyuan's Pingzhen District on March 10. Huang Chih-chieh (黃志杰), the borough chief of Zhenxing, led a team to capture the animal but failed.
The Taoyuan Department of Agriculture started to track down the baboon on March 23, but the baboon was shot and killed in the Fugang area of Taoyuan's Yangmei District on Monday. That evening, a licensed hunter surnamed Lin (林) confessed to shooting the primate and the case remains under investigation.
The body of the baboon was sent to the Taipei Zoo for examination at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. It was then packed in a plastic box and personnel from Taoyuan's Animal Protection Office disinfected the box and placed a funerary cloth and flowers on top.
Officials formally bowed to the remains of the baboon, and it was then taken to a vehicle and transported to another location.
The Department of Agriculture then held a press conference and the Director of the Animal Protection Office Wang Te-chi (王得吉) was cited by the news agency as saying that at about 2:50 p.m., he was notified the baboon was spotted going inside a house. Wang said that when animal control officers arrived outside the home, it was dark inside, and they were unable to locate the primate.
When the animal control officers were stepping out to get a flashlight, they encountered Lin, who happened to have a flashlight, stepped inside, and shot the monkey.
Wang said that in the past, animal control officers used traps and tranquilizer guns to capture animals. He said that officers were not aware that Lin was carrying live ammunition.
Wang said that at first, everyone thought that the baboon fell to the ground after being hit with a tranquilizer dart. Generally, after being hit with a tranquilizer dart, officers usually wait for the animal to stabilize and confirm that it was immobilized, before taking photos for evidence collection.
Wang said that it was not until the animal was placed in a vehicle that blood was seen. Since the cause of the bleeding was uncertain, it was transported to Leofoo Village Theme Park for examination and treatment, but it succumbed to its wounds.
Wu Hsiu-chen (吳秀真), head of the Taoyuan Department of Agriculture's Forestry Department, said that after its death, the baboon was sent to the Taipei Zoo to undergo X-rays and DNA collection, according to the news agency. It was then sent to the Council of Agriculture National Institute for Animal Health to undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Wu said the Taoyuan government had not appointed the hunter to assist in the search and capture efforts, nor was he authorized to open fire. Lin on Monday was questioned by officers at the Taoyuan Police Department's Yangmei Precinct and on Tuesday was transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor's Office to be investigated for violating the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
