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Thailand saves pangolins bound for China restaurants
Yahoo/AFP ^ | Nov. 10, 2007

Posted on 11/11/2007 8:52:53 PM PST by nuconvert

Thailand saves pangolins bound for China restaurants

Nov. 10, 2007

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai Customs officers said Saturday they have rescued more than 100 pangolins and arrested three men attempting to smuggle the endangered animals to China, where they were destined for the cooking pot.

Customs officers Friday intercepted three pick-up trucks of pangolins, or scaly anteaters, which were to be smuggled across Laos to southwest China.

The pangolins, worth an estimated one million baht (29,400 dollars), were trapped in the Indonesian jungle and smuggled via Malaysia and southern Thailand.

"We investigated and found out that those pangolins are from Indonesia," Rakop Srisupaat, director of southern region Customs, told AFP by telephone.

All trade in Asian pangolins has been illegal since 2000. Their meat is regarded as a delicacy in China and their scales are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.

Rakop said the three suspects had declined to give details of who owned the pangolins but admitted they were hired to transport the scaly mammals.

They were charged with two counts of possessing and smuggling endangered wildlife, which carry a maximum 10 years in prison.

"I have instructed my legal officials to seriously prosecute them as their action is against the morals of Thai people," he said.

"The meat is for the cooking pot for restaurants and the scales are crushed for use in traditional Chinese medicine," he explained.

The pangolins, which were all alive despite being hidden under layers of coconuts, would be handed over to the Royal Forest Department to be nursed back to health before being released into an appropriate habitat in Thailand, he said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: animals; china; cool; endangeredanimals; pangolins; thailand
Yes, Thailand
1 posted on 11/11/2007 8:52:57 PM PST by nuconvert
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2 posted on 11/11/2007 8:54:50 PM PST by nuconvert ("Terrorism is not the enemy. It is a means to the ends of militant Islamism." MZJ)
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To: nuconvert

I have eaten some shit in my life, but no way.


3 posted on 11/11/2007 8:56:34 PM PST by 359Henrie (38 million illegals create a big carbon footprint. The real inconvenient truth.)
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To: nuconvert; Froufrou

Pangolin??

4 posted on 11/11/2007 8:56:42 PM PST by JRios1968 (Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will. - Ben Stein)
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To: JRios1968

can’t see your picture


5 posted on 11/11/2007 8:58:19 PM PST by nuconvert ("Terrorism is not the enemy. It is a means to the ends of militant Islamism." MZJ)
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To: 359Henrie

He’s kinda cute


6 posted on 11/11/2007 8:59:30 PM PST by nuconvert ("Terrorism is not the enemy. It is a means to the ends of militant Islamism." MZJ)
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To: nuconvert

Chinese are effin’ crazy to want to eat that thing.


7 posted on 11/11/2007 9:00:03 PM PST by Fairview ( Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.)
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To: nuconvert

Are you logged in?


8 posted on 11/11/2007 9:00:31 PM PST by JRios1968 (Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will. - Ben Stein)
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To: nuconvert

Maybe to feed some crickets to, but I don’t see any A1 sauce in this picture.


9 posted on 11/11/2007 9:04:06 PM PST by 359Henrie (38 million illegals create a big carbon footprint. The real inconvenient truth.)
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To: nuconvert
Their meat is regarded as a delicacy in China and their scales are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.

Is there any endandgered animal the chinese don't feel this way about?

10 posted on 11/11/2007 9:07:56 PM PST by Nachoman (My guns and my ammo, they comfort me.)
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To: nuconvert
Their meat is regarded as a delicacy in China and their scales are believed to cure a wide range of ailments.

I've heard it tastes just like chicken. Yummy with hot sauce! Not sure about the scales.

11 posted on 11/11/2007 9:51:50 PM PST by jws3sticks (Hillary can take a very long walk on a very short pier, anytime, and the sooner the better!)
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To: Nachoman
Is there any endandgered animal the chinese don't feel this way about?

No, and it's the primary reason *why* they are endangered. So some sick bozo "People's Commissar" can show the "peasants" exactly how powerful he is...

the infowarrior

12 posted on 11/11/2007 9:58:40 PM PST by infowarrior
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To: nuconvert

It looks as though it were begging for its life.


13 posted on 11/11/2007 10:16:33 PM PST by skr (How majestic is Thy Name, O Lord, and how mighty are Thy Works!)
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To: nuconvert

“He’s kinda cute”

________________________________________________________________—

I’m surprised, I agree. I’ve seen em stuffed (in a museum that is) and they look much more approachable alive.

Must be pretty rugged as well.

Look for a singing, dancing version in the next Disney movie.


14 posted on 11/11/2007 10:30:45 PM PST by sinanju
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To: nuconvert

Isn’t that the beast from “Rosemary’s Baby”?


15 posted on 11/11/2007 10:49:30 PM PST by drtom
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To: Nachoman

Good one , LOL, True too.


16 posted on 11/11/2007 10:52:51 PM PST by ARE SOLE (Agents Ramos and Campean are in prison at this very moment.. (A "Concerned Citizen".)
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To: Nachoman
Is there any endangered animal the Chinese don't feel this way about?

A person ought to go into a Chinese "pharmacy" some time. You find whole walls of drawers full of dried animal and plant parts. There doesn't, in fact, seem to be any animal which does not have its parts offered for sale. Of course, now the rare and endangered critters are sold "under the counter", if you will.

17 posted on 11/11/2007 11:49:39 PM PST by JimSEA
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To: jws3sticks
Everything tastes like chicken. Except Chicken McNuggets
18 posted on 11/12/2007 12:29:26 AM PST by WildcatClan (DUNCAN HUNTER- The only choice for true conservatives)
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To: WildcatClan
Laughing as I type, BINGO, got that right. Thanks for the laugh line, all be it blinking as I watch.

Speaking of chicken, here is my take on the other fowl or is it foul?


19 posted on 11/13/2007 10:36:26 AM PST by jws3sticks (Hillary can take a very long walk on a very short pier, anytime, and the sooner the better!)
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