Ninh Binh, February 19th 2022 – In collaboration with Cuc Phuong National Park, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) released 12 pangolins back to the wild on World Pangolin Day, February 19th 2022. All pangolins were rescued from illegal wildlife trade.
As the first specialized pangolin rescue center in Southeast Asia and also the center with the most popular pangolin in Vietnam, SVW has directly rescued 1,671 pangolins over the past 7 years. More than 60% of rescued animals have been released back into the wild.
Check the animals before the trip. Photo @SVW.
The journey home of 12 pangolins lasted for two days (February 17th – 19th). Our team traveled nearly 1,500km to the release site. Dehydration, force-feeding, stress, injury caused by snare traps are what 12 pangolins faced before they were rescued from illegal wildlife trade and transportation. After 6 – 8 months of rehabilitation at our center, under the care of our veterinarians and keepers, 12 pangolins have been recovered well. They are ready to go home.
Feed them on the way. Photo @SVW.
The release of 12 pangolins is more meaningful to us on the celebration of World Pangolin Day this year – Nguyen Van Thai, Founder and Executive Director of SVW said: SVW hopes this event will help spread out the message about why we should save pangolins, the most trafficked mammal in the world, from extinction. We want to raise the community’s responsibility and awareness in the conservation of pangolins and wildlife. “Don’t eat, don’t buy, don’t use, don’t hunt” illegal wildlife products and join us in the fight to stop the extinction and champion the recovery of threatened species in Vietnam.
The team arrived the release site. Photo @SVW.
Ready…Photo @SVW.
…to go home. Photo @SVW.
Be happy, our friends! Photo @SVW.
World Pangolin Day is annually celebrated on the third Saturday in February. It is a day for the global pangolin community to be together to raise awareness of the importance and threat of these beautiful creatures. There are eight species of pangolins in the world, of which Vietnam has two species, Sunda pangolin and Chinese pangolin. Both are Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List due to poaching and illegal trading. In addition, Sunda pangolin (scientific name Manis javanica), is listed in group IB according to Decree No. 06/2019/ND-CP issued by the Vietnam Government on management of endangered, precious and rare species of forest fauna and flora and observation of convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora.
