According to information from the “monkey networks” in Tây Ninh, we followed the trail of the “monkey king” and were surprised to arrive at Đức Ngãi 2 hamlet, Đức Lập Thượng commune, Đức Hòa district, Long An – amidst a barren rural area, we encountered a vast “Flower and Fruit Mountain”…
“Monkey Village”
Upon reaching the Đức Ngãi junction in Đức Lập Thượng commune, when we inquired about where to buy monkeys, many people expressed frustration: “Don’t bother with buying and selling; just come to my house and catch them. If you catch one, I will thank you. I don’t know where they come from, but the whole gang has been causing chaos that nobody can stand.”
A grocery store owner lamented: “Since the monkey farm was established, people have complained a lot. Sometimes, the whole troop comes into the house while the owner is having a meal, and they casually climb up and eat everything…”
Following the advice of the store owner, we headed to the “Flower and Fruit Mountain.” Before us was a vast farm surrounded by two layers of B40 wire fencing, and it was eerily quiet inside. A small sign at the gate read: “Long Khánh Monkey Farm.”
We knocked at the gate for a long time without anyone answering. A young man named L., who was drying rice in his yard not far from the monkey farm, heard me asking about purchasing monkeys and said: “That farm raises many monkeys, big and small. But if you want to buy them individually, they won’t sell.”
While we were conducting this report, the investigative agency of Long An Province issued a decision to prosecute Ms. Ngô Thị Kim Tuyến, allowing her to stay out on bail but prohibiting her from leaving her residence. They also initiated the seizure and sealing of all monkeys at Long Khánh farm due to signs of “trafficking rare animals of unclear origin.”
Upon inspection, it was found that there were 386 long-tailed monkeys remaining at the farm. According to the initial testimony of the farm manager, they only knew the number of monkeys received but did not know their origins or prices. The police are currently working to clarify which network has been trafficking the “monkey king” across borders…
Local residents reported that Long Khánh Monkey Farm was established over a year ago and began importing monkeys from February 2005. Since the arrival of the monkeys, the lives of the surrounding community have been disrupted as monkeys continuously escape their enclosures and invade homes.
Mr. X., a farmer living near the monkey farm, said: “The enclosures are like that, but I don’t understand how the monkeys keep escaping. Some have even stayed in houses for a month without leaving, so the residents in Đức Ngãi have named it Monkey Village…”
After hearing that monkeys were escaping and causing trouble in the village, staff from the farm hurriedly went to each household to negotiate the return of the monkeys for a price of 150,000-200,000 VND per monkey. A boy named V., nicknamed “Monkey V.” by locals for his talent in catching monkeys, honestly stated: “I catch monkeys to sell because people from Hậu Nghĩa buy them for 250,000 VND each. I’ve sold over ten, only keeping one to raise for fun for six months. Many people in the village have caught dozens, but they’ve already returned them to the farm…”
Residents living around “Flower and Fruit Mountain” indicated that although the monkey farm is newly established, they sell a truckload of monkeys every week. Mr. L. appeared knowledgeable about the inner workings of the farm: “They bring monkeys from somewhere to the farm and sell them under the pretense of being farm-raised. Many times, I’ve seen them transported back at night by motorbike, monkeys stuffed in bags like they were going to a cockfight. I don’t know where they’re getting all these monkeys. Initially, I thought they were buying a lot to supply restaurants or traditional medicine shops to make tonics.”
When we expressed interest in buying a few monkeys for fun, Mr. L. eagerly suggested: “You don’t need to buy monkeys from the farm; let me introduce you to Th., the specialist supplier of monkeys. His house is just a few kilometers away. He often goes to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to buy monkeys to sell to this farm!”
Upon investigation, we learned that Th. has been a seasoned trader of cows and racehorses for many years. Since the establishment of Long Khánh farm, he has shifted to trafficking monkeys across the border. Th. typically conducts his transactions at midnight.
According to local residents, whenever Th.’s convoy carrying “monkey kings” returns at night, the dogs bark loudly, causing a commotion throughout the countryside. There have been weeks when Th. has transported monkeys back every night. Each time monkeys arrive at the farm, a few days later, a small truck – which locals refer to as the “white van” – carries the entire troop away.
Residents have also reported that many people have alerted the authorities about suspected wildlife trafficking networks, but a local official stated: “Monkeys are bred legally and can be sold; they have proper permits, so be careful with what you say!”
According to T.S., a notorious monkey trafficker at the border, monkeys are transported from Cambodia into Vietnam mainly in the Katum area of Tân Châu district and Xa Mát in Tân Biên district, Tây Ninh.
Here, they only accept orders from “big players” who purchase from Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, and even Hanoi, ordering exclusively over the phone and placing orders via Cambodia at the border.
In fact, many of these suppliers have never met the “big players” and only communicate over the phone, yet payments are made promptly, even for transactions that can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
The Technology of “Birth Certificates” for Monkeys!
We learned that Long Khánh Monkey Farm is managed by Ms. Ngô Thị Kim Tuyến, residing in Tân Bình district, Ho Chi Minh City. The farm was initially licensed to raise approximately 300 long-tailed monkeys for breeding. There are several similar farms in the border areas of Đức Hòa and Củ Chi, some specializing in monkeys, while others also keep pythons and other wildlife.
On the day we visited the farm under the pretense of being “party-goers” wanting to buy monkeys for fun, the manager casually offered them at 1 million VND each and stated: “These monkeys have no papers, which is why they are priced that way. As for monkeys with birth certificates, it’s not easy for you to get involved.”
An insider who once worked at Long Khánh farm revealed: “They actively seek to buy monkeys with ‘birth certificates’ like the ones from Nha Trang, priced around 90 US dollars each, to legitimize the farm. After that, they buy monkeys from the border and integrate them into the herd to legalize the birth certificates and sell them openly or export them.”
A monkey with a birth certificate can sell for hundreds of US dollars easily. Recently, due to a shortage of monkeys, a Taiwanese company raised the price to 130 US dollars. In the past, the farm often supplied monkeys to a company in Đồng Nai multiple times using birth certificates from Long Khánh farm, but in fact, they were monkeys bought from the border!
