At a restaurant in Burma, a Chinese waitress points to three creatures, balled up in metal cages on the pavement. She describes the balled up animals as “pangolin” ..a delicacy only the wealthy can afford.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) these scaly mammals are becoming extinct as a result of being too tasty. The current price for a Pangolin skin is 200 yuan (about US$32). An entire 2kg pangolin, served as dinner, goes for 11,200 yuan ($700). Not much for the wealthy Chinese tourist who visit this part of the former Myanmar held by Chinese supported rebels.
” In the wild, this reflex protects them from predators like bears and large cats. But there’s little defense against wildlife traffickers and well-heeled diners hoping to taste a rare and exotic meat.”