Follow the forest rangers setting camera traps to hunt for 'white monkeys' at Ong Rong peak

khỉ trắng - Ảnh 1. — Mr. Le Van Ho - an officer of the Forest Protection Department of An Giang province - set a camera trap to record whether the white-furred animals above are monkeys or not - Photo: CHI CONG

On October 14, Tuoi Tre newspaper reporters and officers from the An Giang Provincial Forest Protection Department took a speedboat over 60km by sea from Rach Gia to Hon Son (Kien Hai special zone, An Giang) to find out the truth about the suspicion of white monkeys appearing at Ong Rong peak - a place with an altitude of about 150m above sea level and a diverse and beautiful flora ecosystem.

Many local people confirmed that a troop of 4-5 white monkeys had just come down to attack rocks on the top of Ong Rong Mountain.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lat - a resident of Hon Son - said: "At around 6am on October 14, I saw a monkey with white fur appear on the top of Ong Rong mountain. It was definitely a monkey because no dog could go down such slippery and steep rocks. I called the local officials to come and see, but they were late so the monkey went into the bushes."

"There are a lot of monkeys in Hon Son. This morning I saw a group of four white monkeys appear. They walked back and forth across the rocks several times. Then they went into the bushes. Only then could the monkeys walk on that slippery rocky slope," said Mr. Truong Van Hieu, a resident of Hon Son.

khỉ trắng - Ảnh 2. — An Giang Forest Rangers and local authorities located the animal suspected to be a white monkey that appeared on the top of Ong Rong Mountain - Photo: CHI CONG

We and the staff of the An Giang Forest Protection Department and the local people then climbed up the slope to the top of Ong Rong. The road to this peak was slippery, winding, covered with green trees and very difficult to walk. With little sunlight, the rocks were covered with green moss. The sandy soil was loose and easy to slip.

Mr. Le Van Ho - an officer of the Forest Protection Department of An Giang province - informed that the unit heard people reporting that on Ong Rong peak (Hon Son) there appeared an animal with white fur, suspected to be a monkey.

The unit, in conjunction with the Forest Management Board and the local Forest Ranger Department of Region III, went to Ong Rong peak to set 3 camera traps and spread lime to verify the animal traces above.

"The verification team discovered three animal footprints in the exact place shared by the people. We have not yet determined what kind of animal they are. At the same time, the camera traps have been set up. After recording specific images, the unit will have clear results about the animals above," Mr. Ho emphasized.