Large scale threat : The pangolin story

Caution: “Before you read the last word of this blog, a pangolin might be poached from the wild and maybe sold out for a hefty amount.”

Let’s learn about this animal and why it has become one of the most heavily traded animals.

Pangolins are mammals of the order Pholidota. They get their name “ scaly anteaters” as they have no teeth. Pangolins pick up food with sticky tongues, sometimes reaching lengths greater than the animal’s body. These solitary, primarily nocturnal animals roll up completely into a ball, lashing out sharp scales on their tails as a defence mechanism. Pangolins are the only mammals in the world that are covered in scales.

Where do these creatures live?

Pangolins are found in various habitats, including tropical and flooded forests, thick brush, cleared and cultivated areas, and savannah grassland; in general, they occur where large numbers of food (ants and termites) are found. Pangolins dig deep burrows for sleeping and nesting that contain circular chambers. Large chambers have been discovered in terrestrial pangolin burrows that are big enough for a human to crawl inside and stand up. Some pangolin species, such as the Sunda pangolin, also sleep in the hollows and forks of trees and logs.

Four species of pangolin can be found in Africa and four in Asia.

The four species that live in Africa are:

• Black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) (VU)

• White-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspid) (VU)

• Giant Ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) (VU)

• Temminck’s Ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) (VU)

The four species that live in Asia are:

• Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) (EN)

• Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) (EN)

• Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) (CR)

• Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) (CR)

All eight species are threatened with extinction and are listed on the IUCN Red List as either Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered.

EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered, VU = Vulnerable,

In India, two species of Pangolins are found: Indian Pangolin and Chinese Pangolin.

Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11- 13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin. It is widely distributed in India, except in the arid region, the high Himalayas and the Northeast. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Chinese Pangolin is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh, and Southern China. Both of these pangolins are critically endangered and listed under Schedule I, Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

So what are they threatened for? Are they so dangerous that they reached extinction status? Actually, Pangolins are more afraid of us than we are of them. They are timid creatures that you would have ever known. There are rare chances where you could see a pangolin attacking a human, as they would never do so. 

So if they don’t attack… Do Pangolins make good pets??

Pets!!! And Pangolins??? No, these words could never come across together. Pangolins make terrible pets, and it is illegal to own them. They can’t be domesticated. They are not well adapted to living in any environment outside of their natural habitat. In fact, many zoos that have tried to house pangolins have found that most die within their first year out of the wild due to stress or dietary issues.

To clear all your doubts, we need to see why they are heavily trafficked.

You may not know that World Pangolin Day is observed annually on the third Saturday in February. The day aims to celebrate pangolins, raise awareness and recommit international NGOs to the fight against the global capturing of pangolins in Africa and Asia. About 1 million pangolins are estimated to be harvested from the wild for illegal trading. They are believed to be the world’s most trafficked mammal, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than a million pangolins were poached in the decade before 2014. 

The animals are trafficked mainly for their scales, believed to treat various health conditions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and as a luxury food in Vietnam and China. In Africa, pangolins are sold as a form of bush meat, for ritual or spiritual purposes and used in traditional African medicine. Many times the animal is trafficked just for clothing and fashion. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which regulates the international wildlife trade, has placed restrictions on the pangolin market since 1975. In 2016, it added all eight pangolin species to its Appendix I, reserved for the strictest prohibitions on animals threatened with extinction. They are also listed on the IUCN Red List, with decreasing populations and designations ranging from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.

So what could be the worth of these animals? According to some estimates, an Indian pangolin can cost as much as Rs 10-12 lakhs in the international wildlife trade. The scales of the Indian Pangolin are estimated to cost over Rs 1 lakh per kg in the illicit global market.

Asia is very active in the black market pangolin trade. Countries like China and Vietnam are the common destination for large-quantity shipments of pangolin scales. The scales and their whole body are sold, either living or dead, for producing other products with purported medicinal properties or for consumption as exotic food. Scales of Pangolins can cost more than 2 lakhs/kg on the black market. In traditional Chinese medicine, the scales are used for various purposes. The pangolins are boiled to remove the scales, which are dried and roasted, then sold based on claims that they can stimulate lactation, help to drain pus and relieve skin diseases or palsy.

In parts of China and Vietnam, pangolin meat is in high demand. In China, it’s believed to have nutritional value to aid kidney function. In Vietnam, restaurants charge as much as $150 per pound of pangolin meat. At one restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, the pangolin is the most expensive item on its menu of exotic wildlife, requiring a deposit and a few hours' notice. Restaurant employees often kill the animal at the table in front of diners to show authenticity and freshness.

Chinese pangolin scales are the main ingredients of various traditional medicine in China. It is believed that these medicines have better healing properties than Western medicines. Today the primary uses of pangolin scales are to unblock blood clots, promote blood circulation, and help lactating women secrete milk. There are many other applications for treating gynaecological diseases, and pills that contain powdered pangolin scales are used for treating blockages of the fallopian tubes to cure infertility. Pangolin scales are sold in traditional medicine shops. 

In some areas of Africa, poaching of pangolins is protected by either laws or cultural or spiritual taboos. Hunters in Africa hunt pangolins and directly sell them in local markets. A 1988 report found that in Nigeria, the long-tailed (Phataginus tetradactyla) and white-bellied (Phataginus tricuspis) species were the second-most expensive bushmeat. In Ghana, pangolins are hunted using traps, guns, or dogs and are often traded directly from hunters to roadside restaurants or wholesalers, bypassing markets. 

Each and every part of the pangolin’s body is considered essential for African medicines. For instance, take its scales; they are used by Yorubic medical practitioners in Nigeria to treat stomach disorders, gonorrhoea, menstrual periods, genital itching or swelling, wounds and cuts, mental illness, stroke etc. In Awori Tribe, these scales are used to treat back pain, mental illness, rheumatism, stomach ulcers etc. In Ghana, they are used to cure rheumatism, infertility, convulsions, leprosy, mental illness etc. In Botswana, scales are used to treat cracked heels, persistent coughs, and nose bleeds in humans. Their bones are also essential; they are used to treat stroke, back pain, rheumatism, breast cancer, fever etc. The head of the pangolin is also used for treating various diseases.

Pangolin oil, collected while smoking an animal over a fire, was used in Sierra Leone for rashes, stretch marks, cracked heels, skin diseases, knee pain, heart disease, and elephantiasis. In some areas, eating pangolin meat is believed to have medicinal value. For example, in Sierra Leone, it is used to heal premature babies, stomach disorders, rheumatism, epilepsy, high blood pressure, body pain, common childhood diseases, convulsions, and anaemia.

Hence, I want to bring attention to the fact that pangolins and many such animals that are vital to the ecosystem have been mercilessly poached to serve human interests, and it is our responsibility to contribute to their preservation.

~ Sita Kumari Murmu