The pangolin, a strange animal that turns into a ball to defend itself from its enemies, is the most trafficked mammal around the world.
About one million pangolins have been captured in the past ten years in the jungles of Asia and Africa and then they have the Asian market as final destination. The delicate meat of the pangolin, as well as its bones and organs, are highly prized by chefs and Chinese and Vietnamese healers.
The pangolin has become one of the species with the highest risk of extinction. Its size is similar to a small dog; these mammals are defenseless in their wild environment: they have a bad eyesight, they weigh less than 20 kilos and they curl up into a ball when threatened. As a result, they are an easy prey for traffickers, who just pick them up and put them in a bag.
Lam Kim Hai, a 24-year veterinarian at the Pangolin rehabilitation center, where dozens of these mammals are being assisted, declared that he is angry and sad but thanks to this center, these animals get a second chance, as stated by Nguyen Van Thai, director of the center.
However, according to Nguyen Van Thinh, a 56-year-old official from Hanói, Pangolin meat is absolutely delicious and nutritious, and it is also great for health. In addition, healers attribute the pangolins’ protective keratin scales that cover their skin therapeutic virtues for the heart and blood circulation.
Prince William of England, known for defending animals’ rights, will arrive in Habói on November 17th. He will speak at an international conference dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and his goal is to save this little mammal.