Public uproar saves monkeys from Chinese 'execution'

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http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/wed/dec4w27.htm

 

Public uproar saves monkeys from Chinese ‘execution'

December 4, 2002

Wednesday

 

BEIJING (AFP) - A scenic park in southwest China has cancelled plans to

" execute " by gunshot five monkeys that have attacked and stolen from

tourists after a public outcry, sources and local media said Tuesday.

 

The Longchi Scenic Area's deputy director Zhao Ming had said the monkeys are

the five worst behaved among the 100 wild monkeys in the park and had

planned to catch and shoot them this week, the Chengdu Commercial Daily

reportedly recently.

 

One of the monkeys bit a female tourist's hand in July, causing serious

injuries that left her in hospital for three months.

 

Another monkey tore off a female tourist's skirt, leading her boyfriend to

demand the park pay compensation.

 

The five monkeys have led other monkeys in snatching visitors' cameras and

climbing into cars to steal purses and other belongings.

 

But the park management office, contacted by reporters Tuesday, said the

park did not want to kill the monkeys and refused to say whether they

originally had such plans.

 

Li Xiang, a journalist at the Commercial Daily, told AFP that park

management had to cancel their plans after the newspaper's report of the

plans to kill the monkeys provoked a strong response from the public.