the southeast Asian pangolin trade

this disgusting video surfaced a week ago, of a ranger at Kruger kicking a pangolin twice to make it roll up for photos. The person on the safari can be heard protesting and the ranger says something like "no it won't die, it is so you can take the picture".

On the SANParks Kruger Facebook page a statement was made:
A field guide on a fixed term contract with Kruger National Park (KNP) based at Punda Maria Camp has been caught on camera kicking a pangolin whilst on a night drive with guests on Sunday, 4 July 2016.
“Our guiding personnel’s role is to interpret nature to the guests who go on our activities in the Park on regular basis and we are concerned about the guide’s behaviour at a pangolin sighting as can be seen on the video footage currently trending on social media platforms.
We have already suspended the guide and at the meantime we are in the process of investigating the case so that we can take appropriate disciplinary steps. The public will be kept informed of the development as we deal with this case until the end of it,” said the South African National Parks (SANParks) Acting Head of Communications, William Mabasa.
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https://www.facebook.com/South.African.National.Parks/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yzWtDJM9FQ
 
a seizure in July in Hong Kong of pangolin parts smuggled from Nigeria. The scales weighed 7,300kg - that is not a typo.

LARGEST Known Seizure of Pangolin Scales, It’s Devastating! – Pangolin Conservation

Pangolin Conservation – 16,093 lbs (7,300 kg) of pangolin scales from Nigeria were seized today in Hong Kong (an autonomous territory of China), according to customs officials. The valuable of the pangolin scales was reported as $1,805,182 US dollars (14 million Hong Kong Dollars).

They were found on a cargo shipped in the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound and declared as “660 bags of recycled plastic particles”. Customs officials found that 259 bags contained pangolin scales of approximately 7,300 kg. This just after a smaller (but still HUGE) seizure of scales at 3,600 kg was discovered in Hong Kong just last month!

The pangolin scales were not declared on the customs manifest and did not have the proper CITES permits for international trade. Current customs regulations stated that “any person found guilty of importing unmanifested cargoes is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million ($257,871 USD) and imprisonment for seven years.” An additional law (the protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance) requires an additional license. “Any person found guilty of importing an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $5 million ($644,678 USD) and imprisonment for two years.”

While the species of pangolin scales have not been disclosed, four species are native to Africa. Of those, three species are found in Nigeria and neighboring countries; the Giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), the White-bellied tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), and the Black-bellied Tree Pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla). At least one of the photos appears to show scales of the Giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea). The IUCN considers all three species as threatened/vulnerable. However, the true population declines of these animals are not well known (it is one of our efforts to do population estimates to track declines).

Sadly, as Asian pangolin species continue to dwindle, the focus of wildlife smugglers is turning increasingly to Africa to supply the ever increasing demand for traditional medicine. This despite the scales being made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. West Africa has become a central hub for smugglers, with most exports appearing to come from Nigeria. The team of Pangolin Conservation has been on the ground in Ghana and Togo to better understand the trade in pangolins in those countries. We hope to extend our research into other West African countries such as Nigeria, Benin, and Cameroon. These efforts are made possible by donations from the public and support from our zoological partners in the USA.
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LaughingDove said:
Any idea how many pangolins that would represent?
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the scales make up about 20% of the pangolin's live-weight. So I guess someone clever could work out the original weight of the pangolins when alive. But obviously the African pangolins are quite different in size from one another, so you'd have to average it in some way to allow for there probably being a mix of species.
 
LaughingDove said:
Any idea how many pangolins that would represent?
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rough estimate (anyone feel free to correct my maths, as will probably be necessary!).

If 7,300kg of scales is 20% of the live-weight, then that makes 36,500kg of live pangolins.

If we say 2kg for white-bellied pangolins, that would be about 18,250 pangolins.

If we say 20kg for giant pangolins, that would be 1,825 pangolins.

So somewhere between those two numbers.
 
If the Chinacrats ever want to use their powers of censorship for good instead of evil, they should make the search results for "pangolin" turn up lots of results all showing that consumption of pangolin meat causes impotence, infertility, and koro.
 
Sabah looking at making pangolins a completely protected species

29 August 2017

The Sabah Wildlife Department is looking at upgrading the status of Pangolin to a completely protected species.

The department is in the midst of preparing a paper on the matter to upgrade the status of the mammalian from Schedule 2 to Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.


State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he had ordered the department which falls under his ministry, to undertake the matter as soon as possible.


“They have always been planning to do this but now enough is enough. While it is impossible for a complete stop of pangolin or wildlife trade, but what is important is that we sends a strong message to all citizens on the need for all of us to work together in protecting them,” he said.


Masidi said this when asked about the recent case of an attempt to smuggle in RM103 million worth of pangolin scales weighing 8,000 kilogrammes via Sepanggar Port here.


In Sabah, Schedule 2 of the Enactment permits the hunting of the listed animals with a permit.


Masidi hoped that the stronger legislation via the status upgrading will help cut off illegal wildlife trade.


On the scales confiscated on July 29, Sabah Customs Department believes the scales were sourced from some 16,000 pangolins.


Asked whether the state government is pursuing to verify where they came from, Masidi said it is up to the Wildlife Department but there is obviously ‘a need to do so’.


State Tourism, Culture and Environment deputy ministerDatuk Pang Yuk Ming had previously stated that Sabah was likely to be a transshipment point in this case, as there was ‘no way a pangolin population of that size can come from Sabah’.


Customs director-general Datuk T. Subromaniam at a function here yesterday, said investigations involving the 43-year-old suspect in the pangolin scales case are almost complete and he is expected to be charged in court soon.
 
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