A pangolin is released in Vietnam (Photo courtesy of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife)
Ninh Binh (VNA) - Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW), in cooperationwith Cuc Phuong National Park in the northern province of Ninh Binh, hassuccessfully released 25 Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) into a safe habitatfor the species.
SVW said in a statement that these pangolins were rescued and taken careof by the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Programme after being seized fromillegal traders by police and rangers. They have undergone a quarantine periodof over a month with special care by veterinarians and professional keepers.
The pangolins had been transferred from ranger and police departments inthe provinces of Quang Tri, Ca Mau, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa and Hanoi WildlifeRescue Centre to SVW.
According to SVW, all pangolins were identified with their own numbersto help recognise individual pangolins before and after release.
SVW Director Nguyen Van Thai said because of the unceasing efforts byauthorities to stop the illegal wildlife trade and trafficking, SVW is rescuingmore pangolins every year, adding that this is a good sign for wildlifeconservation in Vietnam.
SVW has collaborated with both the Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Mat National Park to rescue animals from illegal trade and return them to safe habitats.
Pangolins are the most trafficked animal in the world. Vietnam is hometo two pangolin species, the Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica) and ChinesePangolin (Manis pentadactyla), both listed as Critically Endangered on theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List, and are nearextinction.
In Vietnam, all illegal hunting, trading, poaching and transportation ofeven one pangolin will be punished with one to five years imprisonment, a fineof between 500 million VND (22,000 USD) and 2 billion VND under the conversionlaw modified in 2015, and coming into effect from January 1, 2018.
SVW is a national non-profit organisation that is committed to protecting and increasing populations of threatened wildlife in Vietnam by rescuing threatened animals, protecting entire populations and ensuring secured habitats. In 2016, SVW successfully released 95 Sunda Pangolins confiscated from thewildlife trade.-VNA
