Just two days ago, pangolin exploitation made the news yet again when a beauty salon in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was revealed to be offering a breast enhancement treatment that included pangolin scales as a key ingredient.
The salon, called Beauty Star, is located in the All City Mall in Shekou, Nanshan District. Acting on the tip of a concerned citizen, an undercover reporter entered the salon and talked with an employee.
The resulting video is startling, to say the least. Entering the shop, the reporter immediately came across a sign advertising the breast enhancement treatment package, retailing for only RMB198. A table nearby displayed three products included in the package, supposedly from a German brand called 'da.'
A sign advertising the breast enhancement package.
An employee at the salon explained that the products included pangolin scales in addition to plant-based ingredients saffron and guggul. According to her, pangolin scales help to improve circulation and "cleanse mammary ducts."
When asked why a German product would include ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine, the employee replied that at least one ingredient component came from Germany. She added, "If I think a country has something good, I'll definitely use the best [ingredients]."
Given that the poster for the 'German' brand included the spotty English byline "international best professional brand," we're going to go ahead and call BS on this one.
While a traditional Chinese medicine doctor consulted about the case claimed that pangolin scales do offer some health benefits, he also said that they wouldn't really work for a beauty treatment. He added that the supposed benefits can be reproduced by ingredients that aren't harvested from endangered animals.
A TCM doctor discouraged people from using pangolin scales for medical treatment.
The news report also noted an unfortunate fact: while Chinese law prohibits the trade of pangolin meat for consumption, it does allow scales to be used for "legal medicinal purposes." That's bad news for the animal, which continues to be trafficked in China and other countries for its purported health benefits as well as its taste.
Questioned about the breast enhancement package over the phone on February 20, a worker at the Beauty Star salon replied that it was no longer being offered. She explained that salon employees had previously not realized that pangolins were an endangered species. When asked for more details about the German brand that supposedly sold the products, she claimed that it was "not convenient to answer" and hung up.
The endangered pangolin, a scaly creature that resembles a small anteater, has made headlines in Chinese news over the last few weeks for appearing in various exotic meals that a couple of Weibo users photographed and shared over social media. Netizens were generally outraged by the display, and both cases are being investigated by authorities.
[Images via Shenzhen City Channel]
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