Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3009183/chinese-forestry-department-sued-failing-save-smuggled-pangolins
China/ People & Culture

Eco groups sue Chinese forestry department for failing to save smuggled pangolins

  • Environmental NGO files lawsuit against Guangxi regional bodies accusing them of failing to look after endangered animals properly after rescuing them
  • Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked mammals because of the demand for their scales in traditional Chinese medicine
Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked animals. Photo: AP

In the first lawsuit of its kind, a Chinese forestry authority has been sued for failing to save a group of smuggled pangolins.

The forestry department in Guangxi and its terrestrial wild animals rescue centre are accused of dereliction of duty in relation to the deaths of 32 pangolins two years ago, a court in Nanning, the region’s capital, heard on Monday.

The case, filed by Beijing-based non-governmental organisation the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation,is the first public welfare lawsuit in China involving the endangered animals, according to The Beijing News.

Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked mammals and China is the most common destination for large shipments of pangolins because their scales are valued as ingredients in traditional medicine, their meat is considered a luxury food item and their blood is used as a healing tonic.

The foundation said that when the Guangxi rescue centre received the live pangolins that police seized from smugglers in August 2017, it offered to help treat the mammals, but the offer was rejected.

Pangolins have low immunity and can become stressed when they are trafficked. Photo: AFP
Pangolins have low immunity and can become stressed when they are trafficked. Photo: AFP

The pangolins all died within 66 days. The foundation wants the two defendants to pay compensation for the ecological losses caused by the death of the animals and to apologise for their mistake in state media. It is asking the court to evaluate the scale of ecological losses.

The court has yet to hand down a decision.

Zhang Zhenqiu, deputy director of the forestry department’s protection section, told the newspaper that the accusation that it had failed to protect the pangolins was just “hype” because they were difficult to look after.

Traditional Chinese medicine is fuelling demand for pangolin scales. Photo: KY Cheng
Traditional Chinese medicine is fuelling demand for pangolin scales. Photo: KY Cheng

The authority said the pangolins died because of they had low immunity and were stressed by the long journey from being trafficked from Vietnam.

Many had digestive system illnesses as a result of being force-fed by the smugglers and some had serious injuries.

In February, 130 pangolins intercepted by Guangxi police from smugglers all died soon after they were sent to two breeding bases – one in Guangxi and one in Guangdong province.