A concerned citizen has photographed a pangolin trader openly selling a mother pangolin and her tiny baby at Sibu Night Market in Sarawak.
The photos were taken at approximately 5:30 pm on Wednesday, September 9. If you recognize the man in these photos, please contact local authorities immediately so that these pangolins have a chance to be rescued and the responsible parties can be brought to justice.
Malaysia’s Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and is protected in Sarawak under Sarawak’s Wildlife Protection Ordinance. This species is listed in CITES Appendix II, with a zero export quota for wild pangolins.
Help bring this pangolin trader to justice. Call the authorities, and use the Wildlife Witness app (developed by Taronga Conservation Society Australia in Partnership with TRAFFIC) on your smartphone to report this crime. Download it free from iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/app/wildlife-witness/id738897823?mt=8
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.