GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) made a surprise discovery when they found 46 pangolins in an abandoned car in Butterworth this morning.
State Perhilitan director Loo Kean Seong said enforcement officers found the protected animals crammed in the trunk of a Proton Waja.
The authorities had received a tip-off about the case and had staked out an area outside a condominium complex in Butterworth.
When they approached the car, they found that its key were left in the ignition.
Loo said the identity of the driver has yet to be ascertained.
"We are trying to find out if the car was stolen or if the owner of the car is indeed the culprit," Loo said.
The case will be investigated for illegal possession of animal fully protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
The act carries a fine of not less than RM50,000 and not more than RM1,000 or maximum of three years imprisonment or both if found guilty for the offence under Section 68(2)(a) of the Act.
Pangolin, derived from the Malay word 'penguling', is named as such due to its 'roll-up body' when it senses that it is threatened.
Pangolins are used as traditional medicine to treat blood circulation and to help boost lactation.
They survive on insects and are often found in oil palm estate and forests.