CBCGDF sues Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center for Rescued Pangolins' Death
2018/9/17 19:11:00 本站

On September 14, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) filed an Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL) against the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Terrestrial Wildlife Rescue and Epidemic Disease Detection Center (hereinafter referred to as the Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center) for the death of 32 rescued pangolins under their care.

 

The case was filed with the Nanning Intermediate Court. The Guangxi Rescue Center is an affiliate of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Forestry Department (hereinafter referred to as the Guangxi Forestry Department), which is listed as the Third Party in the lawsuit.

 

Origin32 rescued pangolin all died in 2+ months after sending to the Rescue Center

 

On August 17, 2017, the Guangxi Forestry Department received a report from the Guangxi Qinzhou Forestry Bureau that the Maritime Police was to hand over to the Guangxi Forestry Department a number of pangolins that had been smuggled into China. The Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center was identified as the entity that would receive and care for them.

 

After on-site counting, Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center confirmed that 34 pangolins were rescued, including 32 living and 2 dead. In the early morning of August 18, 2017, Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center transported the live pangolins to their rescue and quarantine facility for treatment.

 

After the rescued pangolins were examined at the facility, 10 pangolins were characterized as showing "no significant trauma" while 8 were characterized as "emaciated, no significant trauma" by Center staff.

 

According to the Guangxi Forestry Department, up until August 29, 2017, all 32 pangolins were alive but on August 30, 2017, two pangolins died. By October 22, 2017, all 32 rescued pangolins were dead. In terms of survival time, the shortest survived 13 days and the longest survived 66 days in the Rescue Center.

 

Why EPIL

 

The CBCGDF asserts in its lawsuit that the Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center violated laws and regulations, and failed to perform its duties for the pangolins under its care.  

 

According to CBCGDF’s investigation, the causes of death of the 32 pangolins included ascites (bacterial infection death due to stress), internal hemorrhage, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding, enteritis, and hepatitis. None of the 32 pangolins died of high pathogenic virus infection and no animal infectious disease or epidemic disease was found.

 

In addition, the Guangxi Forestry Department had promised: "At the end of the quarantine period and after the quarantine qualified, under the guidance of the State Forestry Bureau, the surviving pangolins will be wild-released to appropriate places in China." The Guangxi Forestry Department and its Wildlife Rescue Center failed to do so, even after environmental protection organizations offered to help with their promised wildl-release. By September 17th, only eight of the rescued pangolins survived.

 

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/6164.html


Some additional notes:

 

1. The CBCGDF investigation found the Rescue Center lacks necessary equipments, medicine and appropriately-trained staff to handle confiscated pangolins. At first, the pangolins were fed dry cat food. That prompted the CBCGDF to call for international help to make sure the pangolins could receive appropriate food. But when experts from Save Vietnam's Wildlife offered to help with 50 kilograms of frozen termites, which was approved by the Guangxi Forestry Department, the experts were subsequently blocked at the border after the GFD reneged its prior approval.

 

2. Guangxi is a border province. Its authorities seize many wildlife smuggling cases with large volumes of illegally trafficked pangolins. Current regulations require that all confiscated pangolins there be sent to the Rescue Center.

 

3. In the past year, not a single pangolin was wild-released. In the CBCGDF’s 2017 field investigation, it was revealed that the Rescue Center maintains that wild-release can only occur after three generations of successful captive breeding.

 

4. The Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center - as with most others in China - does not allow outside observers or members of the public to access their facilities. Their practices lack transparency. China advocates EcoCivilization, in which the harmony of human and wildlife is a key connec

 

5. Consumption of pangolin, the world’s most hunted animal, in China's southern provinces remains very high. The famous "Pangolin Prince" story occurred there. (ref link as followed):

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017twosession/2017-03/12/content_28522454.htm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-38902961

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2017-02-09/101053677.html

www.china.org.cn/china/2017-02/09/content_40252404.htm

https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-05-18/pangolin-banquet-official-sentenced-to-10-years-for-unrelated-charges-101252466.html

 

The death of the 32 confiscated pangolins reflect the loopholes of the past wildlife rescue system. According to the spirit of EcoCivilization, we should adhere to the principle of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, giving higher priority to biodiversity conservation, environmental protection and natural restoration, protecting the ecological environment like protecting our eyes, treating the ecological environment like treating our lives, and keeping the natural ecological beauty on the Earth forever, as well as quiet, harmonious and beautiful nature. The Guangxi Wildlife Rescue Center's practice was on the wrong track.

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By / Linda