Pangolins: conservation on all scales.

You may not have known what it was called specifically, but somewhere in your recent past you would have heard about, or seen a photograph of, a pangolin. It’s unlikely you would have ever seen one as they are by far the most rare and elusive of mammals, and we have it on good authority their pee tastes like ants!

Interested to learn more about pangolins? Read on...

A finalist for the title: World’s Weirdest Animal

With a dragon-like appearance and a lion-proof coat of scales, pangolins are ant and termite specialists with long tongues and no vocal cords. Currently, eight species are found across Africa and Asia, ranging in size from 1.5kg to 40kg. These unique mammals have been roaming the planet for nearly 16 million years, luckily becoming smaller by the Holocene when compared to their prehistoric giant cousins.

Nocturnal, solitary mammals, pangolins are not dangerous or aggressive, but instead are rather placid and silent, producing sounds only from huffing and puffing through a tasty meal. They play a crucial role in ecosystems as insectivores, and most pangolin species in tropical areas are agile tree climbers as their preferred prey species live in the tree canopy. Their catholic diet of ants and termites has resulted in a slow reproductive rate, with an average of 1 pup every 1.5 years across all species.

Pangolin poaching: from the Medieval to the new millennium

Pangolins have historically played a significant role in African and Asian cultures, but are now facing challenges in the modern consumer-driven world. Habitat loss, low reproductive rates, illegal wildlife trade, and electric fences have significantly impacted pangolin populations worldwide. The Asian pangolin populations have been most affected, with demand being replaced by African species, resulting in a major ecological tragedy.

Pangolins are a vulnerable species that face increasing pressures worldwide due to their easy catch and natural defences. The illegal trade in pangolins has skyrocketed, making them a popular example of how humans must prioritize environmental protection. As of 2016, all pangolin species worldwide are protected by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The pangolin crisis varies across Africa; highlighting the importance of understanding and protecting these curious and unique species.

The African perspective

Africa is home to 50% of the world's pangolin species, ranging from the Temminck's ground pangolins, and giant ground pangolins, to agile tree climbers like white-bellied and black-bellied pangolins. Temminck's pangolin is the most famous and has become a symbol for pangolin conservation globally. The impact on wild populations is unsustainable due to the combination of local harvesting and habitat loss from illegal deforestation. In South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania, local consumption of pangolin is mostly for scales which are used for traditional medicine. Pangolin meat consumption is common in central and western African countries such as Cameroon and Ghana, where it is prized for its flavour and eaten in villages and cities.

Although African cultures consume pangolin at a very low rate compared to Asian demands, conservation concerns persist. The illegal wildlife trade between Africa and Asia is causing a major decline in wild populations. With 85% of Africans living on less than $5 a day, foreign traffickers are hunting and gathering pangolins to supply Asian markets. This has led to local subsistence hunters becoming full-blown poachers, but the wildlife trade has also attracted the attention of global organized crime syndicates. Expat communities also consume wildlife such as pangolin, adding to an already thriving bushmeat trade in parts of Europe. Authorities and governments are working together to combat the crisis, but many battles remain to be won.

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing wildlife conservation efforts, with AI enhancing anti-poaching efforts for pangolins specifically. Global conservation efforts like Operation Pangolin incorporate AI into monitoring programs, while computer game processing partners develop deep-learning platforms to identify threats. AI models are also deployed on online platforms to identify animal parts and arrest illegal traffickers. However, addressing the species' survival requires more than just machine learning and Instagrammers.

What can you do to help?

Losing just one pangolin species could trigger a trophic cascade that is currently unclear. With all four African species being mostly nocturnal and inhabiting remote environments, there is limited knowledge about their lifecycles and population size. This makes it difficult for conservationists to develop effective conservation plans for the species' survival. South Africa has a history of pangolin research, and its veterinary and eco-monitoring programs are working to save the African pangolins from extinction. The pangolin release project at Phinda in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, is unique due to its reintroduction program and excellent anti-poaching units. African Conservation Experience (ACE) supports the project, as research on pangolin rehabilitation is crucial for the survival of one of Africa's most unique animals, and you can visit the project as a volunteer.

Interested to learn more?

Take a look at our blog on pangolins which uncovers the conservation issues in more depth and explains how you can help by volunteering at Phinda.