In the ordinary pictorial dictionary of what constitutes an endangered species, the tiger, that beautiful and fierce creature which adorns our national coat of arms, and the orang utan, the familiar face of the rainforest, make popular posters for wildlife conservation. Pangolins, unfortunately, not only do not rise to such lofty status but also do not come to mind for immediate concern. After all, what is the pangolin known for? It is shy, scaly and sometimes smelly, and has a long tongue with which to lick up ants, curling into a ball if threatened. It may not be the most endearing of totally protected species.
But for all that, pangolins are hunted and traded by the tonne. From 2000 to 2007, Malaysia made at least 34 pangolin seizures, totalling 6,000 specimens. On June 5, Chinese Customs authorities seized 7.8 tonnes of frozen pangolin parts and 1,800kg of pangolin scales from a fishing vessel. Although found in tropical Asia and Africa, the pangolin is specially Malaysian, its name derived from the Malay guling or to roll over. An adult pangolin weighs 5 to 8kg and is slow and easy to catch.
Photo credit: A Malayan pangolin is seen out of its cage after being confiscated by the Department of Wildlife and Natural Parks in Kuala Lumpur in 2002. Photo by AFP/File/Jimin Lai.
The scales of a pangolin are valuable for use in traditional Chinese medicine and its meat is said to cure asthma -- though there is no scientific proof of this. In the wild, pangolins perform a great pest-control service: a 3kg pangolin can eat up to 300 to 400g of termites per feeding. No one knows what the pangolin population is like, but anecdotal evidence suggests it is declining. They are slow to reproduce and hard to keep or breed in captivity. Deputy regional director for Traffic Southeast Asia Chris Shepherd has said that illegal trade was pushing unique species like the pangolin "close to the abyss of extinction. At current rates of harvest and trade, it is only a matter of time before pangolins pass a point of no return".
Malaysia has all the laws in place to protect pangolins. The new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 increased the penalty for possession of more than 20 pangolins to a 10-fold minimum fine with the option of jail or both. Regionwide, there is a complete ban on the trade of pangolins. But these laws must be rigorously enforced to have any impact on the fate of the pangolin, and a bigger budget must be allocated to support them. Pangolins have highly-developed problem-solving skills; but since humans are causing them the biggest problem, it is incumbent upon us to solve this problem for them.
Source : Editorial, New Straits Time
Date : Tuesday September 28, 2010
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