Because pangolins live such secluded lives, no population studies have been able to successfully estimate how many pangolins are left in the wild. We do know that in the last decade around 1 million pangolins have been poached (which is nearly 300 per day) and some species have been hunted to near extinction in China.
Moreover, how many pangolins are alive?
Often called the world’s most trafficked mammal, all eight species are considered by the IUCN to be threatened with extinction.
How many Pangolins are there left in the world?
There are eight species of pangolins. Four are found is Asia— Chinese, Sunda, Indian, and Philippine pangolins—and they’re listed by the IUCN as critically endangered . The four African species—the ground pangolin, giant pangolin, white-bellied, and black-bellied—are listed as vulnerable.
How long can a pangolin live for?
Young pangolins are soft-scaled at birth and are carried on the female’s back for some time. Life span in the wild is unknown; however, some captive animals have lived as long as 20 years. A pangolin rolled into a ball presenting erected scales to the enemy.
Do pangolins live in alone?
Pangolins are timid and live alone or in pairs. In most species, only one young is born at a time, though broods of two or three offspring have been observed in some Asian species.
Why are Chinese pangolin endangered?
Restaurants selling pangolin dishes abound in the Vietnamese cities. The skin is served in such dishes as stir-fried pangolin skin with onion and mushroom. And the fetus is eaten as an aphrodisiac. Pangolin scales are sold in plain view in the street markets., and more items.
Humans are the one predator that pangolins have little defense against. Against its natural predators, big cats like lions, tigers and leopards, pangolins can curl up into balls as the following picture shows: Looks like a bad day at the office for this pangolin. Curling up in a ball allows their tough scales to protect them from being eaten.
What is a pangolin and why are they trafficked?
The animals are trafficked mainly for their scales, which are believed to treat a variety of 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 bushmeat, for ritual or spiritual purposes, and use in traditional African medicine.