There are two species of pangolin native to Vietnam, the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica). The Chinese pangolin inhabits the northern regions of the country, whereas the Sunda pangolin is found in the south. Both of these species are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, with wild populations suspected of undergoing sharp declines due to hunting and trade.
A brief analysis of the pangolin trade was conducted by ENV in 2011 reviewing cases documented on ENV’s Wildlife Crime Database over the past six years (since January 2005). The purpose of the analysis was to assess the volume of pangolin trade as documented by ENV over this period, and provide reliable information on the average weight of a pangolin in trade so that quantities of animals could be more accurately determined from gross-weight seizures.