VN October 2020

Vetnuus |Oktober 2020 6 Pangolins are one of the most illegally trafficked animals on the planet and are suspected to be linked to the current coronavirus pandemic. Pangolins are also one of the world’s most threatened species but new efforts are underway to reintroduce pangolins to parts of Africa where the animal has been extinct for decades. The reintroduction of pangolins has not been easy. But it’s vital to prevent this shy, mysterious creature from being lost forever. A cute but threatened species Pangolins are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales, which they use to protect themselves from predators. They can also curl up into a tight ball. They eat mainly ants, termites and larvae which they pick up with their sticky tongue. They can grow up to 1m in length from nose to tail and are sometimes referred to as scaly anteaters. But all eight pangolin species are classified as “threatened” under International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria. There is an unprecedented demand for their scales, primarily from countries in Asia and Africa where they are used in food, cultural remedies and medicine. Between 2017 and 2019, seizures of pangolin scales tripled in volume. In 2019 alone, 97 tons of pangolin scales, equivalent to about 150,000 animals, were reportedly intercepted leaving Africa. Back from extinction: a world first effort to return threatened pangolins to the wild Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Associate, Griffith University, Christopher O’Bryan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Duan Biggs, Senior Research Fellow Social-Ecological Systems & Resilience, Griffith University, Raymond Jansen, Professor: Zoology & Ecology, Tshwane University of Technology FromThe Conversation (http://theconversation.com ) Pangolin scales seized by Royal Malaysian Customs at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017 (EPA/Ahmad Yusn)