Pangolins Saved In Thai Trafficking Bust

BANGKOK -- Authorities in Thailand have rescued nearly 100 endangered pangolins worth about $32,000 that they say were to be sold and eaten outside the country.

Customs Department Director-General Prasong Poontaneat says the scaly anteaters were seized from a truck Sunday evening in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan after a driver fled a checkpoint there.

Prasong says the driver was detained.

Prasong said Monday the mammals might have come from Malaysia or Indonesia and were en route to either Vietnam or China, where many believe they can cure ailments and boost sexual prowess.

The animals are protected by a convention on international trade in endangered species of which Thailand is a member.

Comments

[FTracy3]

07:27 PM on 09/26/2011

There goes my investment in that Pangolin-On-A-Stick franchise.

[bad spelling grammar]

04:38 PM on 09/26/2011

What sucks about these cases is that no one will knows if any of these animals are wild caught. Now that they are seized all of them won’t be returned to the wild so the wild population (if originally affected) won’t get any new animals released back into the gene pool. Which will drastically affect the wild breeding efforts managed by conservationists and scientists. People just need to get with the modern times and understand that we can’t just eat and kill everything we desire, our actions have consequences and since everyone who has a brain understands the importance of bio diversity, why are we eating endangered species!

[Solun1]

03:40 PM on 09/26/2011

I cannot watch this video due to some region restrictions. Why are there any region restrictions?

[Max Shaw]

02:11 PM on 09/26/2011

What cute lil critters! I'd love to adopt one of those guys!

[karen lyons kalmenson]

01:23 PM on 09/26/2011

precious little pangolin
what a mess that
you are in
so called humans decided
that you are food
in my opinion,
that is gross and rude
glad you were saved
from the dinner plate
hope many more are too,
before it is too late