Nguyen Thanh Thuy, vice chairman of the Dak Sao Commune People's Committee, said on October 9 that the animal had been transferred to Chu Mom Ray National Park for release into its natural habitat.
The pangolin was handed over to Dak Sao Commune Police on October 5 by A Thuong, born in 2008, a resident of Lang Nuoc Lon Village.
Thuong said villagers discovered the animal curled up beside a road near their communal house while gathering to celebrate the completion of a new traditional building.
Uncertain what species it was, the villagers agreed to hand it over to the authorities rather than keep it.
Thuong said he only learned at the police station that the animal was a pangolin, a protected species listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book.
Pham Tien Tuy, head of Dak Sao Commune Police, said it was the first time the local police had received a rare wild animal voluntarily surrendered by residents.
He said the incident reflected growing public awareness of wildlife protection and would help preserve biodiversity in the area's forests.
