Pangolin: The most little-known species in peril

When I ask, do you know pangolin? And many of my friends often reply, penguin? Yes, many of us are unknown about this species. Unfortunately, these little-known species may extinct from the earth before we actually realize it exists.

The name pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling which means "something that rolls up". They will curl up into a ball when threatened to protect themselves from many predators like lions and tigers. But on the other hand, this defense makes the poacher easy to put them into bags.

Pangolins are the unique mammals where the body is covered with scales rather than fur. They are as small as a domestic cat and as big as a small dog. Ants and termites are their common diets so, called Scaly anteater which is captured by its long and sticky tongue. Pangolins prefer to live alone rather than in a group. They are nocturnal and lives by burrowing holes. They use their front legs for digging up and hind legs for walking.

There are eight species of pangolins – four Asian and four African. The Asian ones are commonly found in Nepal, China, India, and south-east Asia. They are commonly known as “Salak” in Nepali. Among these four Asian species, the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) are found in Nepal.

Pangolins illegal trade is emerging at a speedy rate and they are even incomparable in a number of Tigers and Rhinos. In the past 10 years, poaching statistics estimated that poachers have killed more than 1,000 tigers, 11,000 rhinos but 1,000,000 pangolins, introducing them as the most illegally traded mammal.

Pangolins scales are used by the Chinese as a traditional medicine with the myths that it can cure many diseases from head to toe that includes mental illnesses, cancer, and asthma. But there is no scientific evidence behind these because pangolins scales are made from Keratin-the same substance that makes our fingernails and rhino horns. Pangolins meat is eaten as a luxury dish in many restaurants in China and Vietnam.

Research published in early 2003, the researchers had estimated the populations in China to have declined by up to 94 percent.  Pangolin expert says the Asian species are on the edge of extinction while African species are declining fast.

IUCN (International Union for Nature Conservation) listed all the eight species of pangolins on the Red List of Threatened Species. The government of Nepal has listed both species of pangolins under schedule I of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (NPWC) Act 1973. But still, there is a massive increase in its illegal trade and all these above legal protection doesn't matter to poachers.

So, for pangolins to survive, stronger conservation policies from the national level to the international level is deemed necessary. The government should work with conservation scientists to promote public awareness so that local communities can know the importance of pangolin in the ecology and may get involved in conservation action. Last but not least, strengthening anti-poaching law is the crucial step to take that makes the poacher to think twice before involving in such illegal activities.

 References:

·         KC, Nishan. Pangolin: The most trafficked mammal. The Himalayan Times. Print edition: February 20, 2019. Available at: https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/pangolin-the-most-trafficked-mammal/

·         Poaching is sending the shy, elusive pangolins to its doom. National Geography. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/06/pangolins-poached-for-scales-used-in-chinese-medicine/

·         Pangolin on the brink. WILDAID. Available at: https://wildaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WildAid-Pangolins-on-the-Brink.pdf

·         Pangolins in Peril: rallying the world to curb the global china trade. Mongabay.   Available at: https://news.mongabay.com/2015/08/pangolins-in-peril-rallying-the-world-to-curb-the-global-china-trade/

Photo: The Rescued Chinese Pangolin in Sindhuli Nepal by Local Community.