Former Hong Kong actress-turned-activist scores conservation win for endangered pangolins
More than 200,000 of the scaled animals were estimated to have been killed between 2011 and 2013 for their medicinal value
Former Hong Kong film actress-turned-conservationist Sharon Kwok Sau-wan has declared victory after successfully pushing for pangolins to be placed on a most endangered species list at a global conference in South Africa.
In June, the Customs and Excise Department seized about 4,000kg of suspected pangolin scales worth HK$9.8 million, from a container arriving from Cameroon – one of the largest hauls uncovered in the city for the last five years.
More than 200,000 pangolins were killed between 2011 and 2013, according to Annamiticus, a non-governmental organisation working to stop economic exploitation of endangered species.