The pangolin is the world’s most illegally trafficked mammal. International demand is increasing exponentially for their meat and scales, and they are constantly under threat of poaching. There are eight species of pangolin: four in Asia and four in Africa, and sadly they are all threatened by extinction.
At the Tikki Hywood Trust, elusive and lesser known animals, like the pangolin, can find refuge. As part of an awareness campaign, the caretakers and pangolins of this wildlife rescue and conservation group were followed and photographed. Each caretaker is paired with their own pangolin. They are walked, fed, and most importantly kept safe — living a day of life as they should. Here you can see an inspiring relationship between the two:
Despite strict laws imposing fines and imprisonment, as well as a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) ban on all internationally commercially traded pangolin parts, the market for pangolins shows no signs of slowing down. In June of 2016 a four-ton shipment of pangolin scales was seized in Hong Kong. It had an estimated value of $1.25 million and cost the lives of about 1,100 to 6,600 pangolins. While the Black-Bellied Pangolin of Africa is listed as vulnerable, the Chinese Pangolin is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. This intercepted shipment made its way to Asia from Africa. Without awareness and conservation efforts, the IUCN’s varying degrees of endangerment for all pangolins will all be the same: extinct.
In China and Vietnam (the primary sources of demand), the flesh and blood of both adult and fetuses is consumed as a delicacy that mistakenly is thought to have healing powers. Made of keratin, the scales of the pangolin are also believed to have medicinal and healing properties. But this is the same protein that makes human nails and hair, rhino horns, and bear claws.
Despite the overwhelming lack of scientific evidence that an animal’s keratin has any medicinal properties greater than chewing on your own fingernails, pangolins continued to be slaughtered. But we don’t harvest human beings’ nail clippings because that would be disgusting and seemingly insane. Somehow, this obvious discrepancy is ignored in argument of killing the entirety of a species.
February 17, 2018 will be World Pangolin Day. Hopefully a surge in awareness and support of the conservation efforts saving them will gain traction, and enforcement of their safety will increase. After all, they only give birth to one young pangolin at a time, so their destruction could happen before there’s time to stop it. You can follow all that’s going on on February 17th and share on social media with the hashtag #worldpangolinday.
What a neat looking animal new to me. Thanks go out to the men who are looking after them also the government is taking the heed and giving the men the power to look after them. Thumbs up to those in charge.
I don’t care how un PC this sounds. Asians are evil cruel savages.
We have fish, chicken, beef, lamb, the list goes on, why not eat another animal…that’s what humans do, we just keep eating anything we can fit in our freaken mouths. I’m sorry, I’m just really angry, I read things like this on daily basis and it starts to pinch a nerve, its sad animals have such low value to no value to a person, its like we can shout and beg for people to STOP THE CRUELTY but there will be another innocent animal a human is killing, it never stops…this is sad
Thank you to these men
They really are beautiful creatures.
Real strength and courage are evidenced by compassionate treatment
of vulnerable creatures. These men are setting a strong example for everyone.
THANK YOU for all you do for these amazing, unusually beautiful creatures: the Pangolin.
(I’m honored that the 17th of February is Pangolin Day – my birthday, but that’s beside the
point! Still, I can use this to bring attention to this animal to family and friends if and whenever
they mention my birthday…..but I’ll do this anyway!!!!) These men are definitely heroes!!
What amazing men to care for these endangered and beautiful creatures!
So wonderful and I hope that sharing this article will help these amazing animals be less trafficked!
There’s one thing I can never understand. That’s when someone sees a beautiful or unusual animal the first thing they want to do is kill it. Then sell its parts. When do we become “civilized?”
Thank you Adrian for your extraordinarily beautiful photos, and for undertaking the project to bring this amazing rescue organization to our attention. Blessings on all of you.
Thank you kind Pangolin heroes. I appreciate you so very much.
And I am forever grateful to the caring ones here with their comments
Thank God for these rescue workers. When will we learn that nature is not to satisfy our insane fetishes. May be we humans should use our own nails as medicinal cures instead. Once the Pangolin is gone it’s gone forever just like the Dodo bird.
Why do people see a beautiful creature and want to have it, what spoiled rotten people. Thank you Pangolin Men, thank you so much 🙂
Sadly it seems to be pretty evident that China plays an exceedingly large role in the black market trade of endangered species animals & animal parts. Think Rhinoceros horns, Tiger gall bladders, Gorilla, etc, the list is nearly endless. The Chinese are the driving consumer base that provides the money to buy these black market items. The only thing that will seriously put a stop or significant reduction in this is one of two methods (if you are serious):
1) Have China step up and establish a capital offense for those caught buying/organizing/trading in black market endangered species – this will probably not happen.
2) Establish a capital offense penalty for any & all caught killing/organizing/trading in black market endangered species (countries of origin) – much more likely, but still close to impossible.
This will be the only way stop or seriously reduce this black market.
Yes, Endlesspath, I agree with you. None of these people’s will do the right thing out of the kindness of their heart..
What the Chinese do to animal for their selfish needs, I can’t believe it. Who or what tells them that tiger bladders, or Rhino horns cure such things, what is this …witch craft? This is some kind of voodoo crap that needs to be investigated and put to a stop
These men are heroes to the pangolins.
AGREE WITH YOU!