The Thuong Xuan Forest Protection Unit said on January 8 it had coordinated with Van Xuan Commune police to return the two pangolins, one adult and one juvenile, to a natural forest area.
The animals belong to Group IB, the highest protection category under Vietnamese law, and are listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered species.
The pangolins were earlier discovered by a local household in Van Xuan Commune and were voluntarily handed over to authorities. Police received the animals on January 7 from Le Van Quyen, a resident of Hang Cau Hamlet, who said the pangolins had wandered into his home.
After taking custody, local police worked with Van Xuan Commune authorities and forest rangers to assess the animals’ health and draw up a rescue and release plan before reintroducing them into the wild.
