HOEDSPRUIT-In a joint operation the National Intervention Unit and the Environmental Crime Unit of the Kruger National Park and the Protrack Rhino Task Team, used information received to track down three pangolin poachers on the western borders of the KNP close to Hoedspruit on 14 June.

The pangolin was rescued and released in a safe undisclosed location. The investigation is ongoing.

The two males and a female were on their way to sell the pangolin on the market in one of the local  communities.

Criminal gangs and syndicates have made the little scaly animal the most trafficked animal for bogus  medicines and gourmet meals. Worldwide more pangolins are poached than rhinos.

Despite all international conservation efforts on 13 June Nigerian Customs Service at the International Airport in Lagos  arrested two Chinese nationals for attempting to smuggle elephant tusks and 381 kg of Pangolin out of the  country.

On 10 June 500 kilograms of Pangolin scales have been recovered at the Jomo Kenyatta International  Airport (JKIA).

Over 1 million pangolins are estimated to have been poached in the last decade in order to satisfy demand  for their meat and scales.

As greater protection is needed for pangolins all IUCN members will be encouraged to support transferring all eight pangolin species from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES at the 17th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP17) to CITES, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2016, in order to contribute to their conservation.

Photographs: Pro-Track