Bamboo rats dying after being kept at the Department of Customs in Quang Tri Province for half a month

Twenty wild animals have died while being kept at the department and waiting for the investigations by the local authorities.

The animals belong to a group of 48 wild animals including weasels and bamboo rats that were seized by local police from a truck on December 3.

The truck, which was owned and driven by a local man, Nguyen Van Du, 41, was found transporting the 48 wild animals weighing 104 kilos in total, 300 kilos of bodies and meat of wild animals, and 210 kilos of timber.

According to the customs department, while investing the origins of the animals and timber, they kept the live animals in iron cages at a store of the department.

"The animals are fed every day with suitable foods including sugar canes, bananas, or bamboos," the department said. "However, many of them got exhausted or ill while the officers at the department don't know how to take care of them properly so some have died."

A weasel being kept at the department

By December 18, 20 of them have died. The rest are still being kept there.

On December 19, the People's Committee of Quang Tri Province announced that they have issued fines of VND 80 million (USD3,478) to Nguyen Ha Du for illegally transporting forest products.

The committee also urged the customs department to soon release the animals into wild.

No one has been held responsible for the death of the 20 wild animals at the department.

Lao Dong/Dtinews

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