Police unpack the boxes that contain the twelve Javan pangolins. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — Twelve live Javan pangolins have been rescued from an illegal wildlife shipment in northern Việt Nam after police intercepted a vehicle carrying the critically endangered animals in sealed styrofoam boxes.

Police in Cao Bằng Province stopped a seven-seat car on December 3 in Trà Lĩnh Commune after noticing signs of suspicious cargo.

Inside the vehicle, officers found two tightly taped boxes packed with 12 Javan pangolins – a species on the brink of extinction and protected under Việt Nam’s highest conservation status.

The Wildlife Conservation Centre in Việt Nam and staff from Cúc Phương National Park then travelled hundreds of kilometres to carry out an emergency rescue, park officials said on Friday.

Initial checks showed the pangolins had been force-fed in an apparent attempt to increase their weight before sale. All were dehydrated and severely exhausted.

A wildlife rescuer examines one of the pangolins.

The animals have been transferred to Cúc Phương’s rescue centre, where they are undergoing intensive care and rehabilitation.

Park representatives warned that illegal hunting and trafficking typically spike toward year’s end, with smugglers using increasingly sophisticated tactics to evade detection.

In recent months, Cúc Phương National Park has conducted several rescue and release operations for Javan pangolins, contributing to national efforts to protect some of the country’s most threatened species.

Late last month, the park worked with the Wildlife Conservation Centre and Bạch Mã National Park in Huế to return seven Javan pangolins into the wild. — VNS