113 Pangolins Rescued

[george]

113 pangolins rescued

SONGKHLA: -- Customs officials Thursday seized 113 pangolins and a lot of contraband goods worth more than Bt10million from a smuggler.

Ponsan Simma, 29, was arrested at around 4.20 am after the officials intercepted his pickup on the Phet Kasem Road in Songkhla's Rattaphum district.

Ponsan's vehicle carried the pangolins, and a large number of smuggled cigarettes, liquor, fireworks and oil.

-- The Nation 2008-03-21

[Nienke]

What a gorgeous animal!

But what are they going to do now with the 113 pangolins, provided that they didn't die already?

Nienke

[meadish_sweetball]

According to a taxi driver I chatted with once, the contents of pangolin stomachs are used to make lao dong, and it is supposed to be really good for various ailments... other sources on the net suggest their skin is used for boots and belts, and their meat is considered a delicacy.

The taxi driver also said there aren't many of them left nowadays. Most of the different subspecies appear to be endangered or close to endangered.

[kmart]

According to a taxi driver I chatted with once, the contents of pangolin stomachs are used to make lao dong, and it is supposed to be really good for various ailments... other sources on the net suggest their skin is used for boots and belts, and their meat is considered a delicacy.

The taxi driver also said there aren't many of them left nowadays. Most of the different subspecies appear to be endangered or close to endangered.

My company buys "Pangolin" brand safety shoes for our staff..............????

They are very hard-wearing, it must be said. Poor little things.

[MSingh]

That Picture posted is a Baby one too, the grow bigger than that, just like an Armadillo really...

I would have 20 THB of anyone's money that the one's confiscated will end up dead within a Fortnight & not one would be released back into the Wild, if they're not dead already ??

[Tony Clifton]

What a gorgeous animal!

But what are they going to do now with the 113 pangolins, provided that they didn't die already?

Nienke

Chinese translation:

What a tasty animal!

But what are we going to cook now without the 113 pangolins, hopefully more are on the way already?

[george]

Police rescue 85 pangolins

Prachuap Khiri Khan: --Police Friday rescued 85 pangolins being smuggled from Hat Yai to Bangkok.

Acting on a tip-off, police stopped a Toyota Fortuner vehicle at an intersection in Pran Buri district at 7: 30 am and found 85 pangolins hidden inside 30 plastic crates.

Police arrested three men in the vehicle. They were identified as Uthai Polwiangchan, 34, the driver, Kong Nanoi, 29 and Chaiya Thabanthaen, 30.

They said they were hired by a man in Hat Yai to deliver the animals to a customer on Rama II Road in Bangkok.

The pangolins will be released to a forest reserve.

-- The Nation 2008-05-16

[brahmburgers]

How tough are the laws against smuggling such animals, and do the laws have any teeth?

I suspect the laws are weak and the chances of nailing the prime perpetrators with any real consequnces are close to nil

There aren't any people who think like me (on such matters) in positions of authority on these issues, but if there were, the perpetrators would get the stiffest penalties, short of the death penalty. As with many other things, Thailand is decades behind the times on such matters (trafficking animals). Though it's commendable that they nabbed some of the traffickers - I venture that well over 90% get through. Plus, deference to China (by Thai officials) always takes precedence to doing the right thing in such scenarios. Where is the indigmation? For example, the PM could express strong concerns to Chinese officials, particularly those at borders where many smuggled animals come over with nothing more than a token hand-out to border officials.

The Chinese need to be embarassed in to doing the right thing. Nothing works as well with them than the threat of their losing face.