Thanh Hoa (VNA) – The forest ranger force of north central Thanh Hoaprovince said on June 14 that they had uncovered and seized a truck transporting74 live Java pangolin individuals, listed in the world red book, weighing 339kilogrammes.
After being reported on a truck suspected of carrying wildlife on June 13 night,the mobile forest ranger team 1 stopped and examined the suspected truck in HoangMinh commune, Hoang Hoa district, detecting 74 live pangolin individuals with atotal weight of 339kg.
Driver Nguyen Van Manh, born in 1989, had no papers relating to the pangolins.
Manh, who resides in Quynh Luu district, neighbouring Nghe An province, said hewas hired by a man named Hung in northern Bac Ninh province.
The Thanh Hoa forest ranger force contacted the Cuc Phuong Wildlife Rescue Centreto have health checks for the pangolins before releasing them back into the wild.
Pangolins are the most traded animals in the world. Vietnam has two species ofpangolins, the Manis javanica and the Manis pentadactyla; both are listed inthe category of rare and threatened species subject to priority protectionunder Decree 160/2013/ND-CP. All hunting and trading of those species areillegal, together with the use of products from pangolin.-VNA