18th April 2012– Wildlife At Risk (WAR) works with Kien Giang Forest Protection Department to successfully rescue three Javan Pangolins (Manis javanica). They were confiscated by the Kien Luong District Forest Protection Department, then safely transferred to the Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station (HMWRS). The pangolins are in good health each weighing roughly 5 kgs. They are currently being well cared for by WAR staff at the rescue facility.
According to the Viet Nam Red Book, Javan Pangolins are classified as “endangered species” with a high risk of extinction. Since the early 1990’s, the number of wild pangolins has seriously decreased due to the illegal hunting and trading for its meat and demand for traditional medicines. Previously, when Kien Giang FPD confiscated illegal wildlife there was nowhere for them to trasfer the species, now the HMWRS is fully functional, rescued wildlife in the Mekong Delta Region can be cared for and successfully rehabilitated for potential release back to the wild. Once these three Pangolins have received successful rehabilitation and been cleared by our professional trained Veterinarian staff, they will soon be released back to the wild where they belong. The HMWRS is now open to the public, to visit please contact WAR atinfo@wildlifeatrisk.org, or visit our website at here Lan Ho Thi Kim – Simon Faithfull