A wildlife rescuer examines one of the pangolins. - Photo: VNA/VNS
NINH BINH, (Vietnam): Twelve live Javan pangolins have been rescued from an illegal wildlife shipment in northern Vietnam after police intercepted a vehicle carrying the critically endangered animals in sealed styrofoam boxes.
Police in Cao Bang Province stopped a seven-seat car on Dec 3 in Tra Linh Commune after noticing signs of suspicious cargo.
Inside the vehicle, officers found two tightly taped boxes packed with 12 Javan pangolins – a species on the brink of extinction and protected under Vietnam’s highest conservation status.
The Wildlife Conservation Centre in Vietnam and staff from Cuc Phuong National Park then travelled hundreds of kilometres to carry out an emergency rescue, park officials said on Friday.
Initial checks showed the pangolins had been force-fed in an apparent attempt to increase their weight before sale. All were dehydrated and severely exhausted.
Police unpack the boxes that contain the twelve Javan pangolins. - Photo: VNA/VNS
The animals have been transferred to Cuc Phuong’s rescue centre, where they are undergoing intensive care and rehabilitation.
Park representatives warned that illegal hunting and trafficking typically spike toward year’s end, with smugglers using increasingly sophisticated tactics to evade detection.
In recent months, Cuc Phuong National Park has conducted several rescue and release operations for Javan pangolins, contributing to national efforts to protect some of the country’s most threatened species.
Late last month, the park worked with the Wildlife Conservation Centre and Bach Ma National Park in Hue to return seven Javan pangolins into the wild. - Vietnam News/ANN
