Watch: 101 Pangolins Bound for Black Market Rescued from Fishing Boat
October 27, 2017—Indonesian authorities have stopped a shipment of 101 live pangolins on a fishing boat bound for Malaysia. Pangolins, scaly mammals roughly the size of a cat, have earned the unfortunate title of world’s most trafficked mammal. The demand for pangolin scales—which, like human hair, are primarily composed of keratin protein—stems in part from a misguided belief in unproven health benefits. The location of the bust, a relatively remote place off Sumatra’s east coast, sheds light on a change in smugglers’ tactics. Instead of shipping large containers of frozen carcasses and bags of scales through international ports, where law enforcement is cracking down, recent operations like this one carry live animals in smaller numbers through small, remote seaports. Four of the recovered pangolins died after rescue, but the Indonesian government reports it will release the rest in a nearby national park.
Transcript
If you've heard of pangolins, it's likely for a sad distinction:
These insect-eating animals are believed to be the world's most trafficked mammals.
This week, Indonesian authorities rescued 101 live pangolins headed for Malaysia.
Four died after the bust.
Authorities often only intercept bags of scales or carcasses.
Poachers kill tens of thousands of pangolins each year for their meat and scales.
The armor is invaluable to pangolins. Even a tiger can't pierce it.
For the criminals these Malaysian agents stopped in June, the scales were also very valuable.
Crystal meth producers sometimes cut their product with pangolin scales, which contain an opioid-like compound thought to enhance the drug's effect. (I've seen this reported a few places but I haven't confirmed it. I just emailed a source to double-check).
Traditional medicine also uses the scales, without proven efficacy.
A 2017 estimate puts the street value of the scales of one pangolin at about $2,700.
The two smugglers just arrested off Sumatra would have seen only a small fraction of that price.
Their operation used a fishing boat, part of a new tactic: small, frequent runs avoiding major ports.
The Indonesian government reports it will release the animals into a national park.
Out of eight pangolins species, the four native to Asia are endangered.
And African pangolins are increasingly vulnerable.