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Agence France-Presse

Malaysia on Thursday torched nearly three tonnes of seized pangolin scales worth US$9 million in a bid to deter trafficking of the endangered animal.
The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine.
“Such a huge seizure and torching of it is definitely a blow to smuggling syndicates,” said Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department.

Some 3,000 pangolins would have been killed to obtain the 2.8 tonnes of scales, Abdul Kadir estimated. The scales were confiscated by customs officials at Malaysia’s Port Klang between May and September 2017.
The animal parts arrived in three different shipments from Ghana and Cameroon, and had false local addresses, officials said.
“Forensic examination of the scales showed that it is from the African species,” said Abdul Kadir.


The scales were incinerated at a private waste disposal plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Seized pangolin scales are usually meant for foreign markets including China and Vietnam, where raw pangolin scales are sold for large profits in traditional Chinese medicine.
Last year Malaysia torched eight tonnes of pangolin scales, Abdul Kadir said, adding that wild pangolins in Malaysia have become a rare sight because of rampant hunting and deforestation.
Pangolins are also heavily poached for their meat which is considered a delicacy while products obtained from the animal are thought to increase blood circulation and lactation.




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Malaysia

Malaysia torches 2.8 tonnes of seized pangolin scales in a bid to thwart smugglers of the endangered animal

The seized scales were worth an estimated US$9 million. Photo: AFP

An environment officer inspects a huge amount pangolin scales seized by Royal Malaysian Customs before being incinerated at Port Dickson on December 6, 2018. - Malaysian authorities incinerated 2.8 tonnes of seized pangolin scales as part of a government campaign against illegal wildlife smuggling. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP)

Scales of endangered pangolin on sale in Hong Kong as loophole in law allows shops to cash in – but mostly to ‘people they know’

Trading has been banned internationally since 2016 because of rampant poaching of the animals but Hong Kong has yet to amend ordinance

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (May 29) seized about 7 200 kilograms of suspected pangolin scales from a container with an estimated market value of $4.6 million at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound.

Feature on unusual animals found in Hong Kong, this image provided by Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden shows a Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla auritus). Must credit to : Gary Ades/KFBG

A man in a shop in Hong Kong offers processed pangolin scales from Guangxi province for sale. Photo: SCMP

Scales of endangered pangolin found for sale on Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo

Packages did not display special government labels required for legal products

Capture of Pinduoduo web site and apps Photo: SCMP

An officer shows off Pangolin scales seized by the UK Border Force at Heathrow Airport at Custom House near Heathrow in London, Britain November 22, 2017. Picture taken November 22, 2017. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

The package of the scales sold by one marchant on Pinduoduo shows the supplier is linked to a traditional Chinese medicine manufacturer based in Bozhou, Anhui Province. Photo: Handout

Postings of processed pangolin scales show up by searching the keyword in Chinese on Pinduoduo. Photo: Handout

A buyer posted two bags of processed pangolin scales weighing 100 grams he bought from Pinduoduo. Photo: Handout

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Pangolins are heavily poached for their meat and parts, which traditional Chinese medicine practitioners claim increase blood circulation and lactation


Conservation

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Malaysia torches 2.8 tonnes of seized pangolin scales in a bid to thwart smugglers of the endangered animal

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Pangolins are heavily poached for their meat and parts, which traditional Chinese medicine practitioners claim increase blood circulation and lactation

Pangolins are heavily poached for their meat and parts, which traditional Chinese medicine practitioners claim increase blood circulation and lactation