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101 Pangolins Destined for Black Market Rescued from Fishing Boat

101 Pangolins Destined for Black Market Rescued from Fishing Boat
The cute scaly critters may have been sold on the international black market if it weren't for local Indonesian citizens and law enforcement.

These adorable scaly mammals may have originally been destined for the black market, but thanks to the Indonesian police force and community, they will now be going to a wildlife reserve instead.

101 live pangolins were seized from a pair of smugglers on a fishing boat headed for Malaysia earlier this week. Law enforcement learned of the nefarious mission from a tip-off given by the local citizens of Sumatra island.

If sold on the international market, the pangolins could have fetched as much as $1.5 million. Now, however, they are destined for the nearest national park, according to the Indonesian Navy.

If convicted, the two smugglers could face up to five years in prison and over $7,000 in fines.

Pangolins are considered to be the world's most trafficked animal due to the high demand for their meat and scales. Hope is on the horizon, however – delegates at a U.N. wildlife convention last year voted to ban the trade of all eight species of Asian and African pangolins.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Zimbart, CC)

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