TWO men are currently under investigation for hunting and holding in captivity a live Sambar deer for one week on Rota in violation of existing laws.
Sambar deer are protected species under CNMI law, according to the Department of Lands and Natural Resources.
DLNR spokeswoman Marianne Teregeyo yesterday said the open season for hunting the deer is from September to November only, and each registered hunter is allowed to catch only one deer every season.
“It is against the law to hunt Sambar deer during off season, and more so when you hold it in captivity without a license to do so,” Teregeyo told Variety.
Ray Anthony T. Cabrera, 21, and Alex L. Maratita, 34, were initially questioned by DFW on Rota, and admitted to hunting and holding in captivity the Sambar deer, Teregeyo said.
According to DLNR, both men were hunting for feral chickens at the Tali’e area on Rota when they saw the deer.
Cabrera then caught the deer and kept it in his house’s back kitchen in Sinapalo I.
“When DFW Conservation Officer Harvey Atalig received the call on June 3, the deer was already one week in captivity,” Teregeyo said.
The deer is now in the custody of DFW on Rota and would be brought back to its natural environment.
The Sambar deer is the most widely spread deer species in the world, covering many countries in Asia. It is also one of the larger members of the deer family.
These animals have a life expectancy ranging between 16 and 20 years.
