Police in the southern city of Can Tho on Wednesday said they arrested a local man and put him in detention for three months for “violating regulations in protection of endangered animals” after he was found in possession of two mounted tigers.

Vo Tan Hung, 53, had performed taxidermy on the two wild animals belonging to the Panthera tigris species, according to conclusion from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

The species is classified as endangered in the ICUN Red List, and is protected by Vietnamese laws on rare and endangered animals.

Other illegal items including hunting rifles and stun guns were also found during the police raid into his residence.

Ownership of mounted rare animals violates Article 244 of Vietnam’s Penal Code, which can carry a prison sentence of 1-15 years depending on the severity of the crime, according to Ho Chi Minh City-based lawyer Pham Tan Thuan.

Vietnamese authorities advise families that put mounted animals on display to declare the items to relevant agencies for management purpose and to avoid facing criminal persecution.

In case the animals are brought from countries where the hunting and stuffing of rare animals are legal, the owner must be able to present ownership papers to customs officers in order to legally own them in Vietnam.

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