The animal was received by police in Tho Son commune, Dong Nai city, after a local resident discovered it wandering inside his yard during the early morning hours.

According to authorities, at around 3 a.m., Dieu Khanh, 30, heard unusual noises coming from the yard of his home in Son Lang village, Tho Son commune. When he went outside to check, he found a strange animal crawling across the ground.

After taking a closer look, Khanh realised the animal was a live pangolin - a rare wild species protected under Vietnamese law. Aware that the animal needed to be protected, he quickly brought it to Tho Son Commune Police and voluntarily handed it over to authorities.

Initial inspections showed the pangolin weighed around 3 kilograms and was in stable condition without visible injuries.

Authorities later confirmed the animal as a Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), also known as the Javan pangolin, a critically endangered species listed under Group IB of Vietnam’s protected forest animals classification.

The species is strictly protected in Vietnam, with all activities involving hunting, trading, transporting, breeding or commercial use prohibited by law due to the high risk of extinction.

Relevant agencies are completing procedures to transfer the pangolin to the management board of Bu Gia Map National Park for care and release back into the wild.

Police said the voluntary handover of rare wildlife reflects growing public awareness and responsibility in biodiversity conservation and forest protection efforts.

Rare Sunda pangolin handed over after wandering into local home

VOV.VN - A rare Sunda pangolin has been voluntarily handed over to local police in Dak Lieng commune, Dak Lak province, after it strayed into a resident’s home.