A 40-year-old off-duty policeman was arrested after he reportedly shot towards a group of monkeys in Kam Sham Country Park (also known as Monkey Hill) with a BB gun.
At around 11pm on Sunday, a man passing by a car park in the country park reported to the police that he heard suspected gunshots and animal screams, before he saw a man acting suspiciously, according to i-Cable News.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, police officers found that the perpetrator, surnamed Tang, was in fact an off-duty policeman. Officers seized a BB rifle and around 300 pellets from Tang’s car, and he was arrested for suspected cruelty to animals, and possession of imitation firearms.
Oriental Daily reports that Tang is a patrol officer with the Ma On Shan Division, and has been a member of the Hong Kong Police Force for 17 years. Following his arrest yesterday morning, Tang has been released on bail, but is required to report to the police in April.
At the moment, police officers have not found any indications that the monkeys at the park were injured. Anyone who violates the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance is liable to a HKD100,000 fine and one year’s imprisonment, while the maximum penalty for violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance is HKD200,000 and three years’ imprisonment.
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