Pokémon fans should be familiar with the pangolin. The scaly plates of this real-life critter inspired the armored, roly-poly defenses of the sandshrew Pokémon.
Sandshrew in the midst of its defense curl.
Though the scales and somersaults protect pangolins from hungry predators, such as lions, these mechanisms can’t save them from humans. To date, pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, according to “The Global Trafficking of Pangolins,” a 2017 report by TRAFFIC (a wildlife trade monitoring network). The number of pangolins remaining in the wild is unknown, but scientists estimate populations dropped up to 80 percent in the last decade.
A pangolin’s evolved self defense caught in the act. Photo by Mark Sheridan-Johnson/Getty Images
“Poachers simply find them, pick them up, and send the off to their dooms,” Paul Todd, a senior staff attorney with the NRDC’s Wildlife Trade Initiative, told the PBS NewsHour via email. “The defenses that have evolved over millions of years do absolutely no good when faced with the threat posed by people.”
Pangolins are native to Africa and Asia, and they’re the most trafficked mammal in the world. Visual by Rashmi Shivni.
Pangolins are native to Asia and Africa, and they’re the only mammals adorned with scales. Todd said in 2017, African authorities confiscated almost 50 tons of pangolin scales. In April and May, law enforcement in Vietnam and Taiwan confiscated 20 tons of scales shipped from Africa. Between 2010 and 2015, authorities around the world made a total of 1,270 pangolin shipment seizures. But Todd and other experts believe the actual numbers are higher because, according to the TRAFFIC report, some countries reported more pangolin trafficking than seizures.
“Remember that these are fairly small animals, like the size of a small to medium dog, so a ton in weight of scales or other parts can represent thousands of individual animals,” Todd said.
Pangolin scales confiscated by Hong Kong authorities. Photo by Alex Hofford via Flickr.
Even though Asia has its own species of pangolins, African pangolins are imported to Asia in droves due high demand for their scales and meat. Nearly 70 countries play a role in the illegal pangolin trade, according to a report by TRAFFIC. This list includes the U.S., China, Germany, Vietnam, Thailand, Belgium and Malaysia. Mongabay reported in May that all pangolin parts are in high demand, mostly in Asia. Pangolin meat is a delicacy, their skin is used in leather materials, and their scales are used in traditional medicine.
This white-bellied pangolin searches in a tree for insects. Photo by the Tikki Hywood Foundation.
Pangolins play vital roles in their ecosystems by cultivating soil and managing insect populations. A pangolin consumes millions of ants and termites every year. Losing them could mean serious pest infestations in their habitats.
But hope for the pangolin exists. The PBS NewsHour reported in 2016 that CITES (an international group in charge of wildlife trade) banned international pangolin trade. Pangolin trafficking still occurs, but this ban has lowered the demand for pangolin scales and meat. Todd said the U.S., China and other countries involved in pangolin trade have stepped up enforcement under the ban.
“But there’s a lot more that needs to be done,” Todd said. “It’s entirely within our power to erase the species forever, and so it’s also our duty to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
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