On January 24, police in Guangxi province saved 39 endangered pangolins. Never heard of them? Pangolins are small mammals with large, hardened, plate-like scales. The two men allegedly attempting to smuggle the animals were caught by police at a toll station near Fangchenggang.
The two men were driving a sedan and, after noticing that the car seemed heavier than usual, police became suspicious and followed the men. After forcing the driver to pull over, police found fake license plates in the vehicle and proceeded to search it. Pangolins are known for emitting a noxious-smelling spray, similar to a skunk, and detecting a strong fishy stench in the car, cops eventually found 39 of the endangered animals hidden under the back seat.
Pangolins are eaten in many parts of Africa and China, where their meat is considered a delicacy. Pangolin scales are also believed to have healing qualities by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (where more endangered = more magic). There is an international ban on the trade of pangolins but population numbers have long suffered because of illegal trafficking.
In 2007, the Guardian interviewed a Beijing chef who described the process of killing and preparing Pangolins for dinner, at a price of around 445 yuan ($73) per kilogram.
"We keep them alive in cages until the customer makes an order," the chef said. "Then we hammer them unconscious, cut their throats and drain the blood. It is a slow death. We then boil them to remove the scales. We cut the meat into small pieces and use it to make a number of dishes, including braised meat and soup. Usually the customers take the blood home with them afterwards."
One of the two Guangxi smugglers managed to escape, presumably while cops were dealing with the animals. His accomplish was arrested and the case is being investigated by the local forest public security bureau.
[Image via CNS]
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