VietNamNet Bridge - Many rare and precious pythons named in Vietnam’s Red Book have been caught by Quang Nam Province residents and slaughtered to protect domestic cattle.

 

Rare and precious pythons named in Vietnam’s Red Book have been slaughtered

Nguoi Lao Dong some days ago reported that people in Phu Coc Tay hamlet of Que Tho commune in Hiep Duc district caught a 30-kilo python, slaughtered it and sold its meat.

Many big pythons have been killed as they are a threat to locals and the cattle. 

Fearing that pythons in the mountains may attack the livestock, Le Thi Be, 40, in Phu Coc Tay hamlet and many other local households went to Gia Forest located in Que Son and Hiep Duc districts and rounded up their cattle to places near their houses for easier care.

Be said she once saw a giant python. “On December 9, my cow returned from the mountain to the cowshed alone, without her baby cow of 4 months. I thought the calf lost its way, so I went to the mountain to look for it the next morning. When I went to the Gia Forest, I saw a big python lying on the ground with round stomach,” she said.

Gia is a natural forest, covering an area of 100 hectares. As people have been growing acacia on hills and mountains, this may have affected the pythons’ living environment.

Be returned to the village and reported this to the locals. Many young men then went to the mountain, caught the python and carried it to the village for slaughtering. After taking away the calf from the python’s stomach, they weighed it and found it was 30 kilos in weight and 5 meters in length. 

A lot of households in Que Phong commune of Que Son district also complained that pythons have attacked their goats in recent years. Le Cong Tam, 38, said he lost 40 goats in the last five years. At first, he thought the goats were poached, but he later found they were killed by pythons.

“Other farmers and I have caught three pythons in the last two years. In 2014, I caught a very heavy python, 63 kilos and 7 meters long. The other two weighed 20 kilos and 30 kilos.”

Meanwhile, Nguyen Ky, 45 in Gia Cat Trung hamlet, said he had lost hundreds of goats since 1995. 

“I nearly have got out of business because of the loss. I have killed three pythons weighing 30-45 kilos and made python bone glue,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Mau Hen, chair of Que Tho commune, was surprised when hearing that the killed pythons were so big.

He said Gia is a natural forest, covering an area of 100 hectares. As people have been growing acacia on hills and mountains, this may have affected the pythons’ living environment.


NLD