The authorities of Lam Dong province joined environment police and the Wildlife Conservation Society to inspect 23 restaurants in the province on August 21. Inspectors checked restaurants in Da Lat and Bao Loc cities, Duc Trong, Lac Duong, Bao Lam and Da Houoai districts.
They seized 132kg of raw meat of wild animals (weasel, bamboo rat, wild boar, iguana) and rescued 124 living animals (pangolin, weasel, iguana, bamboo rat, jungle fowl) and 60kg of birds.
Lam Dong authorities said that restaurants would be fined under the law. Raw meat will be destroyed and the living animals will be released back to nature.
In related news, a 4kg wildcat was released to Tra Su cajuput forest in the southern province of An Giang on August 21.
The cat was bought by a local man named Doan Van Trung, 46, from hunters last year. Trung took care of the animal for a year before giving it to the local forest rangers to release the animal to the forest.
The same day, the authorities of Lao Cai province set free a northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) to the forest.
The monkey was confiscated from a local resident who was fined for his act.