Poaching for the exotic pet business, from talking parrots to nocturnal primates, harms millions of wild animals and threatens their populations. Could endangered red pandas—about the size of a house cat and known for their adorable looks—be the next in-demand species?

That’s a question on the mind of Rod Mabin, regional communication director for Australia-based Free the Bears, a conservation organization that runs sanctuaries in Southeast Asia. On January 13 his team helped customs officials in Laos rescue six red pandas. They were found during a random inspection of a van about 10 miles from the Chinese border.

According to Mabin, the incident marks the first time red pandas have been seized in Laos and is likely