Year of Monkey may end monkey business

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Authorities in China are cracking down on the illegal monkey business in the new Year of the Monkey.

Poachers or those convicted of killing the rare Rhesus Monkey are receiving long jail sentences, the BBC reported.

The auspicious campaign begun in the Year of the Monkey by China's Public Security Ministry is designed to protect the rhesus monkey, widely sought for medical research as well as for pets.

So far, 20 people have received jail sentences of between six and 14 years for poaching, killing, or selling the rhesus monkey in the southwestern province of Guizhou.

In one area, a group of farmers was sentenced for organizing more than 50 villagers to capture the animals and then selling them to traffickers.