Hong Kong - Wild monkeys in Hong Kong are being hunted and killed in a trade that might be supplying restaurants in China specializing in exotic cuisine, a news report said Friday.

The discovery of the remains of a butchered monkey found in a country park in the city of 9 million has set off a police hunt for poachers hunting the primates, the Hong Kong Standard said.

Thirty-eight animal traps have been found by park wardens in the past two years, and animal lovers believe the monkeys are being hunted to sell to restaurants in China, the newspaper said.

Hong Kong is home to more than 2,000 grey macaque monkeys that live in country parks near the Chinese border and are an attraction for weekend hikers and picnickers.

Earlier this month, one monkey was found dead with a trap around its leg and multiple stab wounds in its body in Hong Kong's Kam Shan country park.

Police posters have been put up in the park appealing for information on any suspected torture or killing of monkeys, the Standard said.

Monkey meat is sold in exotic cuisine restaurants in China, and some illicit restaurants reportedly serve monkey brains, a delicacy dating back to China's imperial age.

Under Hong Kong's Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, anyone caught hunting or attacking wild animals is liable to a jail term of one year and a fine of up to 13,000 US dollars. (dpa)