The Bornean Giant Pangolin (Manis paleojavanica) went extinct about 40,000 years ago, likely as a result of overexploitation following the arrival of humans, and pangolin populations in many parts of the world are facing the same threat today. For instance, estimates from China suggest populations there have been reduced by 94% since the 1960s.
While we were reading we ran into the inquiry “How endangered are pangolins?”.
Our favorite answer was pangolin species in Africa and Asia face a number of threats: They are poached for their scales, which are used in traditional medicine. Their meat is considered a delicacy by some. Destruction of the pangolins’ forest habitats places additional pressure on them., and more items.
They’re called pangolins, and they’re among the world’s most endangered animals. But scientists don’t know much about their behavior, and many people have never heard of them.
A frequent inquiry we ran across in our research was “Why are pangolin endangered?”.
Pangolins are the world’s only scaly mammal. All eight species are endangered from being hunted for their scales and meat. They are seen as delicacies in parts of Asia and Africa.
What are pangolins and why are they 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.
You may be thinking “Why are pangolins listed as endangered species?”
“All eight pangolin species are now listed as threatened with extinction, largely because they are being illegally traded to China and Viet Nam,” says Professor Jonathan Baillie, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group and Conservation Programmes Director at ZSL.
What are the pangolin’s natural predators?
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 .
Why do people poach pangolins?
Pangolins are primarily poached for their scales and meat, but almost all of their body parts are in use. This extends even to their foetuses, which – when floated in wine or soup – are believed by some to be an aphrodisiac in East Asia. Their scales have a wide range of traditional medicinal uses throughout multiple Asian and African cultures.
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.