WILDLEX

This appeal concerns the fate of four chimpanzees, brought from Zaire (in today's Democratic Republic of the Congo) by the Respondent. The animals are still in custody of the Uganda authorities, having been seized at Entebbe Airport as they were about to be exported to Dubai.

The defendants Wang and Liao released two red coral sculptures sold on the domestic Taobao website to the Yahoo website in Japan for sale. The Japanese-speaking defendant Yu was responsible for the online store maintenance and transaction negotiations with Japanese customers. At the beginning of 2013, after Yu reached a deal with customers.

In October 2012, Zangone Mampa Ghislain was in the forest precisely inside the Odzala Kokoua national park where he used a caliber 12 gun type Simplex to kill a chimpanzee for self-defence. He brought the meat back to his house and gave some pieces to Mossahou Daniel who came to visit him.

In April 2014, Mossendjo Alfred went to the forest for hunting. After having ”called” the animals three times he saw an angry Chimpanzee attacking him and killed the animal.

In December 2011, Zongo Ernest provided Ngonguela Alfred with one war weapon and two full loaders to kill elephants. Ngonguela used the hunting materials to kill eight elephants and gave the trophies to Mahamat Abdou for the sum of XAF 680,000 (six hundred and eighty thousand) and the carcass to Samba Ruth and Gnina Solange for sale.

During the year 2018, Kpamane Joseph and Atem Kevin went for a small hunting expedition at Adjala village during which they killed one blue duiker and one chimpanzee. They waited for the sunset to smoke and share the meat. Back to the village, Kpamane Joseph gave part of the meat to Atem Kevin to give it to his elder brother living in Sembe.

Ngouop Jeannot was caught red handed by rangers in possession of Chimpanzee meat in his basket on his way to Ngombe Chantier. After investigations the file was forwarded to the state prosecutor.

In September and October 2014, Wu1 and Xu 2 prepared two ships for illegal hunting of Hongmou (Corallium spp.) and made fishing gears such as nets and sinkers, and recruited defendants Liang Chaman and Mei, Peng, Yan1, Wu2, Liang. and Yan went to sea to catch Hongmou.

Wang Jianwen and Liao Duoqiang posted the information of Guanyin carved red coral and the lady carved red coral on their respective online stores opened on the Yahoo website in Japan. Ke Y. was responsible for the maintenance of the online stores and conducting transaction negotiations with Japanese customers.

In 2013, Zheng Mingpu and Lin Banghui and others jointly invested RMB 1.8 million to purchase ships for hunting red corals. In February 2014, Zheng Mingpu and others drove the reconstructed ship to the Pacific Ocean “Miyagu Island” to hunt red coral illegally.