Wildlife smuggling gang busted in Thailand

BANGKOK, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Three wildlife smugglers have been captured by police with tiger carcasses and pangolins in Thailand's northeastern province of Udonthani, local press reported Sunday.

The three suspects were nabbed on Saturday at one of the province's bypass intersection, local police was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying.

On their two pick-up trucks, police found three tiger carcasseswrapped up in plastic sheets and kept in large iceboxes. Some 150 pangolins were also discovered in the flatbeds of the pickups.

All the three have been charged with conspiring to possess endangered wild animals.

The suspects confessed that they were hired by somebody from the southern Narathiwat province to transport the animals to Lao clients in Nongkhai. They said they were paid 15,000 baht (357 US dollars) each to conduct the trip.

--Agencies 2005-07-03

Wildlife smuggling gang busted in Thailand 

    BANGKOK, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Three wildlife smugglers have been captured by police with tiger carcasses and pangolins in Thailand's northeastern province of Udonthani, local press reported Sunday.

    The three suspects were nabbed on Saturday at one of the province's bypass intersection, local police was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying.

    On their two pick-up trucks, police found three tiger carcasseswrapped up in plastic sheets and kept in large iceboxes. Some 150 pangolins were also discovered in the flatbeds of the pickups.

    All the three have been charged with conspiring to possess endangered wild animals.

    The suspects confessed that they were hired by somebody from the southern Narathiwat province to transport the animals to Lao clients in Nongkhai. They said they were paid 15,000 baht (357 US dollars) each to conduct the trip.

--Agencies 2005-07-03

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And how many poachers don't get caught? Am surprised there are any tigers left in Thailands at all

Not sure about Pangolins, regarded as endangered wild animal. 150 of them, seems like there is some kind of farm in South Thailand..

RAPID DECLINE OF PANGOLIN IN LAO PDR AND SOME THOUGHT ON PANGOLIN IN THAILAND

Sompoad Srikosamatara

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University

Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

ABSTRACT

Even there are various factors threatening pangolin population in Lao PDR, recent trade of live pangolin along terrestrial routes across neighboring countries especially from Lao PDR to adjacent areas along Lao PDR-Vietnam and Lao PDR-Vietnam-southwest China (Guagxi and Guangdong) gradients have caused rapid decline of pangolin population in Lao PDR during 1997-2000. Asian economic crisis has also helped increasing this regional disparity between poorer and richer regions. The prices of pangolin have been increasing from a poor to a richer region which can be arranged as Lao PDR-Vietnam and Lao PDR-Vietnam-SW China gradients. Vietnam and SW China became pangolin consumers or as middlemen for pangolin trade. Existing infrastructure of domestic pangolin trade in Lao PDR since 1991 acts as platform to support these terrestrial inter-regional trades. Existing infrastructure for domestic pangolin trade, regional disparity in economic levels among adjacent countries, the existing infrastructure of pangolin consumers in adjacent countries are synergic factors causing the rapid decline of pangolin in Lao PDR. Lessons learned from Lao PDR can be used for explaining pangolin rarity in Thailand. Increasing in domestic demand of pangolin skins and scales for traditional Chinese medicine by immigrant Chinese in Thailand and for trade between Thailand and China may cause rapid decline of pangolin in Thailand. The decline is unnoticeable as there was nobody recorded them at that time. As a species easy for hunting and hard to keep and breed in captivity, more attention should be given to pangolin conservation and management. In Lao PDR, areas should be selected and confiscated pangolin should be released in those areas and follow-up studies should be done to monitor their survivorship, reproduction and ecology. Strong law enforcement should be made to stop pangolin trade in Lao PDR and between Lao PDR and adjacent countries.

http://protect.tfri.gov.tw/animal/pangolin/iucn_007_02e.asp

Information on the species is limited. Due to their habitat and diet it would be difficult to breed pangolins, once they faced the threat of extinction as a result of widespread smuggling. If you can help please call: WAR at (662) 662-0898.

http://www.warthai.org/education/pangolins.htm (thai wildlife org)

mnoorsapl check before u speak......

well thanks for the info...and the links too..

have a nice day..