Formosan pangolin gifted to Prague Zoo dies

Taipei, Nov. 10 (CNA) A Formosan pangolin gifted to Prague Zoo in 2022 as part of a breeding and conservation program has died, Taipei Zoo said Monday.

Taipei Zoo said the underlying cause of the 7-year-old female pangolin's death remained unclear, but that the animal, named Run Hou Tang (潤喉糖), had been receiving assisted feeding and medical treatment since September.

The pangolin's condition briefly improved in early October but worsened again later that month. Tests subsequently revealed liver damage, and despite ongoing treatment, the animal died on Sunday, the zoo added.

Run Hou Tang was born at Taipei Zoo on Sept. 2, 2017, and was sent to Zoo Praha in April 2022 along with a male pangolin named Guo Bao (果寶) as part of a conservation cooperation agreement between the two institutions.

The breeding program produced offspring in February 2023 and July 2024.

Taipei and Prague established a sister-city relationship in January 2020, followed by a memorandum of understanding between their zoos to jointly conserve the critically endangered Formosan pangolin.

Run Hou Tang and Guo Bao were part of this effort to build a satellite population overseas to support species survival and raise awareness in Europe about pangolins and the threats they face from large-scale poaching and illegal trade, according to Taipei Zoo.