More than 100 endangered exotic animals that resemble pines
cones were rescued from poachers this week.
The 110 pangolins, worth more than $35,000, were to be sold outside the country, officials say.
These critters are hunted by poachers for their meat and scales
that are believed by the Chinese and other Asian cultures to cure
everything from skin ailments to sexual impotency.
Their scales are even thought to have the power to woo a man if buried
under his door, says the African Wildlife Foundation’s website.
Pangolins, ant- and termite-eating animals are usually active only at night and remain in burrows during the day. Their natural habitat of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos
has seen a major drop-off in the defenseless species, with populations
reduced by at least 50%.
Source
Photo: Sakchai Lalit/AP
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