The pangolin was transferred to the forest rangers for health checks and safe release back into the wild.
At around 12.20 am on November 7, a local resident discovered the pangolin wandering in Thanh Duc Ward and promptly informed the ward police.
Officers from Thanh Duc Police, together with the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention Team under Vinh Long's Department of Forest Protection and Biodiversity, identified the animal as a Javan pangolin (Manis javanica). The species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and classified under Group IB, which affords the highest level of protection in Vietnam.
The pangolin was transferred to the forest rangers for health checks and safe release back into the wild in accordance with conservation regulations.
Authorities praised the resident’s swift action, saying it contributed to national efforts to protect biodiversity.
In October, the Vinh Long Forest Protection Sub-Department had also received a 0.8 kg yellow-mountain tortoise and a 3.7 kg pangolin, both voluntarily handed in by locals who found them while gardening.
