IPOH: A man and his son, who were arrested for allegedly shooting a caged monkey in cold blood, were released on police bail today.
The man, who owns a banana plantation, and his son were released after their statements were recorded.
Perak police chief Datuk Razarudin Husain said the investigation paper was almost complete but it needed to be referred to the deputy public prosecutor for further action.
"The duo will be released on police bail until we get a date from the deputy public prosecutor to charge them in court," he said.
Razarudin said police had also found the cage in a river, with assistance from the Marine Police. However, they have yet to find the monkey’s carcass.
"It was a wild monkey that was trapped in the cage. We believe the motive was to kill the wild monkey, but the approach was wrong,” he said.
The disturbing video made its round on social media last week. The 19-second clip, believed to be recorded with a mobile phone, showed a monkey trapped in a cage.
A man, whose hand is seen holding a gun, could be heard urging the monkey to call him “baby sayang”. When the monkey didn’t do so at the count of three, the man fired a shot at the animal’s head.
The video, which has since gone viral on social media, received widespread condemnation from vast sections of the community, including animal activists.
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old man was arrested along with his 54-year-old father, an entrepreneur, who is also the owner of the gun, at their residence in Taman Kenangan, Sitiawan, at 9.20pm.
Both were remanded for investigation under Section 39 of the Firearms Act 1960 and Section 428 of the Penal Code.
During the arrest, police also seized a black Glock .42 automatic pistol, a gun holster, 12 bullets and a firearm permit.