ANIMAL WORLD

 

THE MOST TRAFICKED ANIMAL IN THE WORLD - PANGOLINS

Since the beginning of time, man has co-existed with nature, depending on plants and animals as sources of food, clothing and livelihood. What happens when man's nonchalant actions threaten the very existence of animals?

Such is the case of Pangolins, an animal that has almost been poached to extinction so much that it has been tagged the "world's most trafficked animal" due to constant poaching and the illegal trade of over 2.7 million pangolins annually.

Pangolins, or scaly anteaters, are incredibly shy and harmless nocturnal animals recognizable by their full armor. They belong to the order Pholidota, family, Manidae, and are further divided into three genera, Manis, Phataginus and Smutsia. The genera Manis contains four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each and are found in Central Africa.

 

Pangolins have no teeth but feed on ants and termites with their incredibly long tongue, which is attached to their pelvis's base and can be twice the length 0f their body at over 40cm long. They hold the distinctive feature of being the only mammal with a large protective keratin scale similar in structure to fingernails and toenails covering their whole body, which it uses as a defense mechanism to attack or defend themselves from predators.

 For centuries, these shy animals have been victims of illegal trading. They are poached for the beauty, strength and medicinal value of their scale in traditional medicine to treat rheumatism, asthma, arthritis and rituals. The meat is also a special delicacy among the elite in China and Vietnam and is believed to help lactating mothers produce milk.

In Asia, pangolin scales, blood and fetuses are used to purportedly treat conditions like liver problems, skin issues, palsy and swellings. Fresh scales are never used, but dried scales are roasted ashed, cooked in oil butter, vinegar, boy’s urine or roasted with earth or oyster-shells, to cure a variety of ills. Amongst these are exclusive nervousness and hysterical crying in children, women possessed by devils and ogres, malaria fever and deafness.

In 1820, a jacket made from pangolin scales was presented to King George III. In 1875-76, Albert Edwards, Prince of Wales, was also presented with a full pangolin scale armor complete with a helmet during his voyage to India. The scales of pangolins can cost more than $3,000/kg on the black market.

 Asides from the constant poaching, the pangolins' existence is also threatened by continued deforestation and the destruction of their habitats. 

To save the pangolins from extinction, the Chinese government, in June 2020, increased protection for the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), ensuring an extreme scarcity for consumption of the animal. Also, the government banned the use of pangolin scales in traditional medicine, a big step in the right direction as over 195,000 pangolins were trafficked in 2019 for their scales. Besides, 182 countries have also signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ban the trade of pangolins in those countries.