Endangered pangolins found on southern Vietnam street

By Phuoc Tuan, Van Tram July 20, 2023 | 06:09 pm PT

Two endangered Sunda pangolins were found along a street in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on Thursday before they were captured and handed over to authorities.

Two Sunda pangolins are found on the side of a street in Binh Phuoc. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram

The Binh Phuoc Forest Protection Department handed over the two pangolins, weighing 2.5 kg and 0.5 kg, to the Bu Gia Map National Park on Thursday before they could be released back into the wild.

The pangolins were found by Nguyen Anh Duong, 26, as they were walking on the side of the street on Wednesday. After learning that they were endangered animals, Duong took them to a local police station.

Nguyen Anh Duong (3rd, L), hands over two pangolins to forest rangers. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram

The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is listed as critically endangered in accordance with the IUCN Red List. In Southeast Asia, they are often hunted and traded for food and traditional medicine. They are also threatened by habitat loss.