Bangkok--20 Apr--FREELAND FOUNDATION
At approximately 3am today, Royal Thai Customsofficers chased down a truck fleeing their checkpoint in Pranburi, southernThailand and found that it was concealing 173 live Malayan Pangolins(endangered scaly anteaters) and 130kg of snake skins hidden onboard. Thedriver was arrested for illegally transporting protected wildlife.
Trade in pangolins is completely banned under international law. The seizedpangolins are believed to have been smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia.Pangolins are most often trafficked through Southeast Asia for consumption inChina, where they can fetch USD $600/kg. Customs estimates the seizedcontraband to be worth approximately THB 2 million (USD $65,000). Some of the
pangolins had just given birth to infants (see photo).
“Customs is doing a good job enforcing CITES, but the volume of pangolin tradeis alarming. Soon there may be none left in Asia’s forests,” said FREELANDSenior Programs Officer Bussara Tirakalyanapan. The Director General of RoyalThai Customs said that, “This is the not the first time we have seized pangolinswith their newborns. We should not forget that they are living creatures, just like
people.”
The seized animals will be handed over to Thailand’s Department of NationalPark, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for care and possible release back into thewild.
“While he or she has not yet been caught, the main trafficker behind today’sshipment lost a lot of money,” said FREELAND Director Steve Galster.
Southeast Asia is a major source of illegally traded wildlife, supplying a globalblack market estimated to be worth US$10 billion-US$30 billion annually.
Poaching and illegal wildlife trade threatens the survival of many endangeredspecies.
For more information, contact FREELAND Communications Liaison
Mook Wongchyakul via +66 2 204 2719 or
[email protected]