Malaysia on Thursday burnt nearly three tons of seized scales of endangered pangolins worth 9 million U.S. dollars in a bid to deter illegal wildlife trafficking from Africa.

It is estimated that about 3,000 pangolins would have been killed to obtain the 2.8 tons of scales confiscated by customs officials at Malaysia's Port Klang between May and September 2017.

Seized pangolin scales were usually meant for Asian markets in which raw pangolin scales could be sold for large profits for use in traditional Asian medicine.

For detailed information about pangolins, please check our previous post.

Forensic examination of the scales showed that they are from the African species. The animal parts arrived in three different shipments from Ghana and Cameroon. While the four Asian species of the world's eight pangolin species have been driven to near extinction, traders are targeting the four African species, which mainly reside in West Africa.

Pangolins are also heavily poached for their meat which is considered a delicacy. Wild pangolins in Malaysia have become a rare sight due to rampant hunting and deforestation.

According to a report by TRAFFIC, a nonprofit that tracks wildlife trade, pangolin products have been seized in 67 countries and territories across six continents in recent years.