The Plight of the Pangolin: 4 Things to Know
You probably are aware of the plight of many animals, from rhinoceroses to elephants and a number of animals in between. There’s a lesser-known animal out there who is also worthy of our attention. Here’s a pangolin primer to introduce you to a delightful little creature who desperately needs our help.
1. Pangolins hold 3 world records.
The innocent and vulnerable pangolin, lumbering quietly in the forests of Asia and Africa, quite humbly holds three world records.
- The pangolin is the only mammal on Earth with scales! Pangolins are covered in these sharp, hard scales from tip to tail, with only their throats and bellies exposed. When threatened, a pangolin will roll up into a tight ball, locked into place with its muscular tail, and form an impenetrable fortress from predators.
- Pangolins are the only animal in the order pholidota. While they are nicknamed “scaly anteaters,” they are not anteaters at all. In fact, pangolins’ closest relatives are dogs, cats, and bears, but the truth is they have no close relatives. The eight species of pangolins are the only animals in the elite order of pholidata.
- The third record they hold, tragically, is that of the being the number one most trafficked animal on the planet. The pangolin trade is made of an organized network of criminals reaching from Africa to Asia. It is as vast and terrible a black market as that of elephant ivory and rhino horn, yet enjoys a considerably quieter spot in the public eye. There are many among us who have never heard of pangolins, much less know about this record they hold.
2. Pangolins are fascinating and important.
“Fascinating” may well be in the eye of the beholder, but most beholders agree that pangolins are truly incredible, with some describing them as “mystical.” Pangolins are docile creatures who prefer to be left alone to forage for ants and termites. Their sense of smell makes up for their poor eyesight; a pangolin can smell an ant buffet from 20 meters away! Pangolins are solitary creatures except when tending their young. A baby pangolin will cling to its mother’s tail, quite adorably, for several months while learning how to be a pangolin, and remain in its mother’s care for about 2 years.
Because of the enormous number of ants and termites a single pangolin can consume in a year, up to 70 million, pangolins are considered a keystone species. The removal of a keystone species can wreak havoc on an entire ecosystem. Pangolins use their claws to dig into termite and ant mounds, then excavate their tasty meals with their super-sticky tongues, which can be as long as their body cavities. Pangolins are toothless, and have an unusual feature to help them break down their insect diet: keratin spikes inside their stomachs. Like chickens, they will also eat small stones to help pulverize their food.
Some pangolins live in trees, while others are terrestrial. Most are nocturnal. All are harmless, except to termites and ants.
3. Pangolins are in serious trouble.
Why? Who on Earth would hurt a pangolin? Sadly, pangolins are valued for their scales and their meat.
Despite a ban on international commercial trade of pangolins in 2016, over 128 tons (TONS!!!) of pangolin scales, used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, were intercepted in 2019. This represents the brutal deaths of an estimated 195,000 pangolins! (In June 2020, the Chinese government removed pangolin scales from this catalog. The effects of this change remain to be seen.) It should be noted that pangolin scales are made of keratin, the same substance as hair and fingernails, and there is no research to support the claims that they have medicinal value.
In parts of Asia, pangolin meat is seen as a delicacy, used to impress and claim status more than for its taste. A pangolin meal can cost as much as $400 USD in the Asian luxury market. This heinous consumption of pangolin meat and armor has almost wiped out the four Asian species of pangolins.
African pangolins are also facing extinction. In Africa, pangolins are hunted and consumed as bush meat. While the scales are not valued per se in Africa, they fetch a pretty penny on the black market. For the poachers aware of this pipeline, pangolin scales are a road to relative riches.
Lest we shake our Western heads in sanctimonious wonder and disgust at the behavior of those on other continents, we should know that the thirst for pangolin leather cowboy boots, wallets, and belts in our own country contributed heavily to the decline of these lovely animals. Westerners are no strangers to the seduction of ridiculously expensive and showy consumption, cruelty be damned.
Pangolins have been on this Earth for more than 80 million years. They have adapted to live in extreme environments and to defend themselves against all predators, all except one. Mother Nature could never have predicted that the very behavior which has saved the pangolin for all these years would make it vulnerable to poachers, who only have to reach down and pick up a tightly-balled pangolin and toss it into a bag. No guns, no traps, no mess.
In a strange twist, the devastating novel coronavirus may have been a boon for pangolin protection. Currently, the World Health Organization supports the theory that this virus originated from bats, crossed to an intermediary animal, and then to humans. That intermediary animal may have been a pangolin. This potential scenario is behind the recent enactment and enforcement of more stringent laws against the trafficking of wild animals in China.
4. We can help save pangolins.
Without optimism, conservationism wouldn’t exist. And so I, destined for optimism due to markers in my DNA, leave you with hope.
Education is the primary defense against the cruel pangolin trade. By sharing this article, talking to friends and family about pangolins, and learning more about them yourself you are already helping our shy, scaled friends.
Several organizations work toward protecting pangolins. They include Save Pangolins, the World Wildlife Fund, the Pangolin Crisis Fund, and Pangolin.Africa. Each of these organizations has resources available to help you in your pangolin-saving efforts, from virtual adoptions to fund raisers to the sale of merchandise. Who doesn’t want to rock a pangolin t-shirt?
Finally, you can celebrate World Pangolin Day! This special occasion is held on the third Saturday of every February. Consider having your own pangolin party, and watching the incredible documentary, Eye of the Pangolin, as a highlight.
And now, onward to champion these precious and imperiled creatures with whom we are so lucky to share space on our planet, in our time.
