Koh Kong Authority Hunts Killer of Rare Red Muntjac
A man used a wooden stick to beat a swimming red muntjac and two men carried the body to hide from the authority on Kokhav beach, Koh Kong province. Photo: Kim Saroeun Facebook
- By Meng Seavmey
- and Chhum Chantha
- October 30, 2023 5:00 PM
PHNOM PENH – Koh Kong provincial authority is investigating the killing of a critically endangered red muntjac in Koh Kong province.
The investigation was launched after video of the act was posted on Facebook on Oct. 29. It happened on Kokhav beach in Kiri Sakor district.
District Governor Cheng Monirith said police and experts from the Environment Department had been seeking details on the case.
“After the investigation, the man will face legal consequences,” Monirith said. “This is such a cruel thing for a Buddhist to do.”
According to the governor, the incident happened around five to six days before the video was uploaded.
In the video, the red muntjac was swimming in the sea less than 10 meters from the beach when the man hit it on the head and neck with a wooden stick.
Several people came to the scene and watched the dead animal floating until it reached land. Later, two men carried it away.
The governor said the man's face could not be seen because the image quality was bad and blurry. The governor could not say why the animal was killed.
It was the first time for a red muntjac to get into the sea around the area, he said.
To avoid such case from happening again, the governor calls on the public to be more caring towards animals, especially wildlife that can attract tourists.
“It's a crime to kill wildlife animals and such action is a bad example for every Cambodian," the governor said.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the red muntjac is one of 20 rare wildlife species which had been found in the Koh Kong Wildlife Sanctuary by 2022. The species is listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
