On May 6, the case filed by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) to Guangxi Provincial Wildlife Rescue Center and the Department of Forestry of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for malpractices in pangolin rescue was tried in Nanning, Guangxi. This is the first public interest litigation on pangolin conservation in China.

In the afternoon of April 19, we held the press conference on the pangolins, and I met several CBCGDF volunteers. Then I immediately took the last flight to Guangzhou. I had to video the opening speech for Green Great’s meeting in Anhui aboard because of my back-to-back schedule. Arriving at Guangzhou at 2 am, I rushed to the rescue center, only to be told that they couldn’t arrange visits during non-office hours. Therefore, I contacted my colleagues to examine surveillance video of the confiscated pangolins.

During the rescue, we found the pangolin called “not move” stayed still in one place, and it didn’t move in 24 hours. With the support of National and Guangdong provincial Forestry departments, our application to engage in the emergency rescue was timely approved. Through our unremitting rescue, “not move” recovered its health on April 20.

The team of Professor Zhu, the Director of China Pangolin Research Center, the team of Director Wu from the animal hospital, and colleagues from CBCGDF and Guangdong Rescue Center had no time to grab a bite or take a short rest. We worked from 2 am to 4 pm. When I fed the pangolins, my tummy was grumbling because I didn’t have any food all day.

As for the rescue worker, Sophia, Pangolin Girl of CBCGDF, is on the frontline all the time. If I had spare time, I would directly fly to Guangzhou. Professional experts from Malaysia, Taipei, Africa, Vietnam, and IUCN also actively participate in the rescue and give their opinions on pangolins rescue. Moreover, several students of South China Agricultural University volunteered to help.

Although our funds, donated by the people, are limited, we paid hundreds of yuan for infrared cameras to record round-the-clock observation.

My colleagues always book red-eye and cheap flights whenever I am on a business trip so that the money saved can be used in wildlife conservation. I'm well aware of the risk of taking night flights. What comes first- accident or tomorrow? We don't know. Though, what we are sure is that consistent efforts can bring a better tomorrow for all life.

Guangxi Provincial Wildlife Rescue Center and the Forestry Department have received national funds as well as the wildlife rescue permission, rights, and obligation. What have you done?

Sophia hurried to the rescue center in Vietnam to learn advanced experience. We invited the experts from IUCN Pangolin Group who carried 50 kg termites and medicine and led their teams to rescue the confiscated pangolins. It took them almost ten hours to the border. How annoying it is to refuse foreign experts who drove almost ten hours to the border to participate in the rescue. This is what the local forestry department did.

Guangxi Provincial Forestry Department has sent pangolins to steel companies, TCM experts and so on, but refused to offer a lump of pangolin excrement to us. It seems that pangolin is your “private property and resource”. No matter living pangolins or dead ones, you always make profits from the endangered species!

The case filed by CBCGDF is only the beginning. We will fight until we win.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4857/8520.html

By / Wang Yanqing