Pangolin is in danger of extinction

Pangolin, anteater-friendly mammal is threatened with extinction due to illegal smuggling in Asia. Non-governmental organizations, police and representatives of Southeast Asian countries have expressed concern about the fate of the animal at a four-day conference in Cisarua, the western island of Java. .

According to Chairul Saleh, representative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), pangolin smugglers care most about its scales and flesh.

Lieutenant Colonel Thanayod Kengkasikij of Thai police said statistics on seizure of pangolins demonstrate the increase in demand and smuggling of this animal. With an average weight of 2.5kg, pangolins are hunted in tropical forests of the equator, Malaysia or Indonesia, then taken north, especially to China.

The seminar in Cisarua aims to strengthen cooperation and control among ASEAN countries. The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) also participated in this workshop.

Pangolin is very popular in Asia. Pangolin skin is used to make leather utensils, mainly boots, and its scales are found in Chinese medicines, especially for the treatment of skin diseases.

Thousands of pangolins were illegally transported from southeast Asia
China every month (Photo: Discovery)

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