No wild animal is traded more around the world than the poor pangolin.

When authorities catch people with pangolins, they take them away from these people.

Often the pangolins die from stress.

Now, twenty of them that were taken away from traders have been returned to the wilds where they belong.

NINH BÌNH — The Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Programme (CPCP), a collaboration between Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) and Cúc Phương National Park, released 20 endangered Sunda Pangolins to a safe and undisclosed location in Việt Nam on Wednesday.

The critically endangered pangolins were rescued from the wildlife trade and rehabilitated at SVW/CPCP in Cúc Phương National Park in the northern province of Ninh Bình.

The released pangolins were among 21 pangolins confiscated by the provincial Forest Protection Department (FPD) in June. Pangolins normally do not survive well in captivity and yet of the 21 pangolins, 20 survived.

“This successful release and high survival rate of the rehabilitated pangolins is in large part thanks to the co-operation of Ninh Bình FPD which enabled us to release the animals quickly and avoid the high mortality that pangolins normally experience due to captivity stress,” said the manager of the CPCP, Trần Quang Phương.  

The pangolins were given health checks to ensure they had fully recovered from the injuries they sustained in the illegal wildlife trade and were micro-chipped, allowing them to be identified in future.

Executive Director of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, Nguyễn Văn Thái, said “This year we have released 95 Sunda Pangolins confiscated from the wildlife trade back to safe locations in the wild. While this is good news, these pangolins represent only a fraction of those illegally traded each year in Việt Nam. We need to do more on enforcement and awareness otherwise these precious mammals may become extinct in our lifetime.”

Pangolins are the most traded animals in the world. Việt Nam has two species (Sunda Pangolin and Chinese Pangolin), both critically endangered, meaning they are in imminent threat of becoming extinct in the wild. 

Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) is a national non-profit organisation founded to provide more effective solutions to secure a future for Vietnamese wildlife.

At the core of SVW’s programme in Việt Nam is a partnership with Cúc Phương National Park to support the  Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Programme (CPCP). — VNS

GLOSSARY

The Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Programme (CPCP), a collaboration between Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) and Cúc Phương National Park, released 20 endangered Sunda Pangolins to a safe and undisclosed location in Việt Nam on Wednesday.

A carnivore is a creature that eats only meat.

A collaboration means a project that involves working together  with others.

The critically endangered pangolins were rescued from the wildlife trade and rehabilitated at SVW/CPCP in Cúc Phương National Park in the northern province of Ninh Bình.

For the pangolins to be rehabilitated means for them to be brought back to how they were before they were harmed.

The released pangolins were among 21 pangolins confiscated by the provincial Forest Protection Department (FPD) in June. Pangolins normally do not survive well in captivity and yet of the 21 pangolins, 20 survived.

If pangolins are confiscated, they are taken away from whoever has them because they are not allowed to have them in the first place.

If animals are kept in captivity, they are kept in cages and pens and are not free to roam around in the wild.

“This successful release and high survival rate of the rehabilitated pangolins is in large part thanks to the co-operation of Ninh Bình FPD which enabled us to release the animals quickly and avoid the high mortality that pangolins normally experience due to captivity stress,” said the manager of the CPCP, Trần Quang Phương.  

Co-operation means working together.

Mortality means death.

While this is good news, these pangolins represent only a fraction of those illegally traded each year in Việt Nam.

A fraction of something is a piece of it.

Việt Nam has two species (Sunda Pangolin and Chinese Pangolin), both critically endangered, meaning they are in imminent threat of becoming extinct in the wild. 

Something that is imminent is about to happen.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search.

1. A type of pangolin that lives in Việt Nam.
2.  A name for any animal that eats only meat.
3. The number of pangolins out of the twenty-one that died.
4. A word that describes an action that is against the law.
5. The status of an animal when it is gone forever and no longer exists.

ANSWERS:

© Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2016