It’s Kung Fu Pangolin as Jackie fights the poachers
HONG KONG: Jackie Chan has shot a version of what’s basically Kung Fu Pangolin as a fun way of fighting for conservation.
The commercial, which just debuted in Beijing, features Jackie teaching young pangolins how to kick butts with some kung fu moves.
At first, despite his tutoring, they continued to curl up in defence. But when confronted by a poacher, they use their newlytaught skills to put the hunter where he belongs: in the trash.
The public service announcement, entitled Kung Fu Pangolin, was made in partnership with WildAid and The Nature Conservancy to encourage the conservation of the animal, the only known mammal with protective scales covering its skin.
“The priority for pangolin conservation is reducing consumer demand and improving enforcement,” said WildAid CEO Peter Knights. “Jackie reaches a vast audience across Asia and there are clear signs these campaigns have had an impact and attitudes are changing. Shark fin imports to China went down 81 per cent in three years. Ivory seizures there were down 80 per cent last year, and ivory and rhino horn prices have fallen by more than 50 per cent.”
The 47- second video spot was released to support a ban on all international trade in pangolins that was approved last year under the UN CITES treaty. Accompanying billboards will be distributed widely in China and Vietnam, which are the main pangolin consuming nations.
“It’s crazy in this day and age that people are still eating these wild animals and threatening them with extinction. I hope we can persuade people that it’s the wrong thing to do,” Jackie said.
The Nature Conservancy China Chief Conservation Officer Zhao Peng said: “Pangolins are one of the oldest mammals on Earth. A pangolin weighing just three kg can help protect roughly 16 hectares of forest from being overrun with ants. Protecting pangolins is not just about saving an endangered species, but also about healthy ecosystems.”
It’s crazy in this day and age that people are still eating these wild animals and threatening them with extinction. I hope we can persuade people that it’s the wrong thing to do. Jackie Chan, martial arts actor