The terrible fate of
Pangolins
A Chinese chef once
said, “We keep
them (Pangolins) alive in cages until the customer makes an order. Then we
hammer them unconscious, cut their throats and drain the blood. It is a slow
death. We then boil them to remove the scales. We cut the meat into small
pieces and use it to make a number of dishes, including braised meat and soup.
Usually the customers take the blood home with them afterwards.” Sometimes restaurants request Pangolins is kept
alive where they are destined for the dining table as and when requested by the
customer.
Video above: The catch by the enforcement officers
The lives of 97 Pangolins
were extended. Thanks to the swift action from the Wildlife and National Park Department
(Perhilitan Kedah). They Pangolins that were rescued from a house and a booth
of two cars were estimated to be worth 23.2 thousand USD. Thanks to the tip-off
from the public a man in his 40’s has been arrested to assist in the
investigations.
Image above: The rescued Pangolin has no idea what just happened. Watching over is a Wildlife Preservation officer
These Pangolins saved were
to be smuggled to Thailand…
The Pangolins were
already packed inside the bags and were believed to be meant for smuggling into
Thailand. They are now temporarily safe in the hands of Perhilitan Terrapin
Conservation Centre but will soon be returned to their natural habitat. There’s
no telling if they will survive in their natural habitat once they are returned
or will they fall once again at the mercy of these ruthless poachers?
The cursed Pangolin trade
fetches a lucrative income to the poachers where it is estimated at USD200 per
Kilogram according to Environmental News Network. If in Africa, it is largely
hunted as bushmeat, in Asia, apart from the flesh being considered a delicacy,
it is also mistakenly believed to improve one’s health upon consumption.
Dan Challender, co
chair of pangolin specialist group had once witnessed the demand of this meat
back in 2012. Just a few days after arriving in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, he
witnessed a man in a restaurant paying equivalent to USD700 to eat 4.4 pounds
(2 kilos) live pangolin killed and served to him. The meat which is an
expensive item is ordered when businessmen or women want to celebrate signing
of a contract or to impart status.
Poaching Fine or
Imprisonment
The Pangolins come as protected
species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716). If convicted, this
man would be fined USD11 – USD22 thousand dollars or face a maximum 3 years
jail sentence. Somehow, I think this sum is too little taking the market price
of the Pangolins into consideration. The penalty should be heavier as a
deterrent sentence for other poachers or would be poachers as well.
Pangolin interesting
facts
There are 8 species of
Pangolins on earth where 4 species are from Asia and the remaining 4 from
Africa. These toothless animals with a poor vision but acute sense of smell are
also known as anteaters. Their scales consist 20% of their body weight. A
single Pangolin can consume up to 70 million insects a year.
CONTRIBUTION:
1. StarOnline
2. The
Guardian
3. Sarah
Pappin
4. CSMonitor
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