Opinion Editorial: Pangolins and Where they Stand

Pangolins are soon to be the dinosaurs of the twenty-first century. With its population steadily decreasing at a rapid rate, we are not prepared for the demise of these creatures and what entails for us in the years to come after it ceases to exist.

One of the main reasons there has not been a lot of attention on these animals is due to its demure behaviour and its sole purpose as any other mammal, is to protect themselves, reproduce and survive. Pangolins are primarily nocturnal animals and are identifiable by their full body of armour that are made of scales that contain keratin. A pangolin that senses impending danger will cover its head with its front legs and completely roll up into a ball. If it is touched it will roll up and use the sharp scales on its tail to protect itself.

There are eight different species of Pangolins that reside in two main continents, Asia and Africa. All eight of the species are categorised as vulnerable or critically endangered. All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Despite the protection, poachers are ruthless in ridding the earth of these innocent creatures.

The main reason these animals are not getting the help they need is due to two main problems, the first one being that they lack the coverage they need to enable the ripple of power to get to the people who can change their fate. Because of the lack of knowledge on these animals, people are not talking about it online, with most of the coverage coming from organisations such as WWF and similar conservation groups, there isn’t a clear line of communication going out towards the public. The second issue at hand that pangolins are not getting the assistance they require to stay alive, this is because despite the protection they have under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, there is not enough pressure on poachers and Black Market Sellers to stop profiting from these animals.

The demand and solution of Pangolins can fall into this final category of my argument. The fact of the matter is that no one argues that the these animals do need to be saved but to truly save them there is a need to nip the main root of the problem in the bud; the demand of Pangolins in Chinese Medicine, for example. Most poachers send their supply to China due to their belief that consuming the scales can alleviate illnesses such as asthma, which has not been proven. When cutting off all supply to China, there will be a ripple effect to the poachers, if they cannot sell what they reap, they will no longer have the need to kill these animals. Although China may not be the main benefactors of these animals, the key is to identify those that are benefiting from it and stopping it there.

The three key points are to inform people, to cut off the demand of these animals is to cut off the supply that could ultimately end the poaching of Pangolins and contribute to a more promising future for these animals.