Pangolins are endangered species of scale covered long tail mammals indigenous to Malaysia and Indonesia forests. Pangolins are declared a protected species by UN’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

130 Pangolins were rescued by Malaysian Wildlife Authorities on Saturday. The authorities have detained two men against the smuggling charges of these precious pangolins out of Malaysia. The arrest came into force at a cemetery near the Pahang State. The cemetery serves as a transit point before the animals are taken to Johor one of the Malaysian southern states. Pangolins’ meat is considered a weakness of Chinese. Many attempts to smuggle the endangered species from Malaysia and Indonesia are made to sell the animal to Hotels and medical stores in China, Hong Kong and Japan.

The police and wildlife authorities working on a tip raided the Lebuh Raya Tun Razak cemetery and found two men arranging the pangolins in specially made car compartments. The arrested men were taken to Gambang police station for further investigations.

The rescued mammals were of worth more than $11000. On Thursday Malaysian Marine Police rescued such 62 pangolins from being smuggled out of country. The smuggling of such exotic animals like pangolins, lizards, owls and pythons rises during holidays and at the end of the year.

The tropical mammals from order Pholidota possess a long snout and a long sticky tongue to catch termites and ants. Pangolins are therefore called scaly anteaters. Pangolins roll into a ball when threatened by man or beast for this reasons they are called Pangolin(To roll over).

Pangolins