(MY) pangolins

[Guest guest]

*The Star*

*June 28, 2006

*

*Probe on why pangolins not detected*

*By NIK KHUSAIRI IBRAHIM*

**

*PENANG:* The state Wildlife and National Parks Department is baffled how a

cargo of pangolins and freshwater turtles left Penang airport undetected. Its

director Hasnan Yusop said all live exports would be checked whether they

were a protected species or otherwise. " We have close co-operation with

other departments to monitor quarantine activities at ports and the

airport. " I need to investigate this case before making further comment, "

he said in an interview yesterday. He was commenting on newspaper reports

that Thai authorities had thwarted another attempt at wildlife smuggling

when they seized a cargo of pangolins and freshwater turtles that arrived at

Bangkok airport from Penang on Monday morning. The shipment, from a Thai

Airways flight, included 245 pangolins, 63 black marsh turtles

(*Siebenrockiella

crassicollis*) and one Malayan snail-eating turtle (*Malayemys subtrijuga*).

All three species are protected under Appendix II of the Convention on

Illegal Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) but the shipment of 60 crates

did not have any CITES document or permit. Thailand protects all the three

species but Malaysia protects only the pangolins under the Protection of

Wildlife Act 1972. Hasnan said his department suspected that the smugglers

were now using the " air route " after failed attempts via land. He said

there was a possibility that the agent had declared that the shipment did

not include protected species. " But it has always been a practice to check

thoroughly despite declarations that the cargo contains pets or unprotected

animals. We still need to counter check to curb smuggling, " he said.