Bringing pangolins to life
Man’s love for wildlife shines in animation about world’s most trafficked animal
PETALING JAYA: When Faril Izzadi Mohd Noor (pic ) was a young boy, he used to tell his friends that his dream was to be a zoologist.
Today, he is a multimedia designer but he still hasn’t let go of his love for wildlife.
As the animator of The Astounding Secret Pangolin video launched online by international wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic in conjunction with World Pangolin Day today, he got to be both.
“This project perfectly combines my passions for art and wildlife, something I’ve always wanted to do.
“I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity and hope this animation can bring us a step closer to saving pangolins,” said Faril Izzadi yesterday.
The close to four-minute animation is based on the picture book of the same name by illustrator Jeanette Ward, who is based in the United Kingdom, and book designer Mary Hays.
Describing the collaboration as “such a gift”, the young animator said he had Ward and Hay’s incredible story and illustrations as the basis.
“My contribution was helping to make things move and allowing the pangolin to come alive,” he said.
Before leaving for the private sector, the graduate in New Media Design and Technology used to serve as a graphic designer at the Traffic’s South-east Asia programme office, where he still volunteers to this day.
The animation tells the story of the anteater’s scales as being both armour as well as a vulnerability due to these being highly sought after by poachers.
The illustration of a mother pangolin and its pup in the animation is inspired by the Sunda pangolin, the Manis javanica, which is found in South-east Asia, including Malaysia.
Tailored for young students, the animation is designed to be used in tandem with English language and art exercises to showcase the pangolin’s many unique features.
“These lessons and a factsheet for teachers have been designed to help them broach the issue of poaching and illegal trade with a young audience, especially those who live in countries with wild pangolins or where the pangolin may be consumed,” said Traffic in a statement.
Hays said she was looking for an idea for a children’s story when she came across a Cambridge Museum of Zoology fact sheet on pangolins in 2016, and decided to approach Ward to illustrate it
“Astonished that I’d never heard of this extraordinary mammal, I wondered how to tell, in some respects, this devastating story specifically to children.
“Her attention to detail and sensitive, empathetic approach have perfectly conveyed both the unique charm of these creatures and their precarious situation.
“It is fantastic to see it brought even further to life with Faril Izzadi’s gentle animation,” said Hays.
Both Hays and Ward have donated the use of the book’s words and images to Traffic after being inspired by the organisation’s work on pangolins.
Kanitha Krishnasamy, director for Traffic in South-east Asia thanked Hays, Ward and Faril Izzadi for their masterful work in creating the stunning visuals and captivating storytelling, and for choosing to partner with the organisation.
“We hope it ignites curiosity and interest in conservation, in young minds and educators alike,” she said.
Believed to be the world’s most trafficked mammal, the pangolin is sought after by poachers for its scales which are wrongly believed to have medicinal properties.
Several species have been hunted to near extinction.
South-east Asia is not only a major source and consumer of Asian pangolin species but also a destination and transit point for trafficked African pangolin species.
Despite all pangolin species having been prohibited from commercial international trade since 2019, more than 2,300 pangolin trafficking seizures were recorded across Asia between 2014 and 2023.
A total volume of 419 tonnes of pangolin parts was confiscated, comprising almost 48,500 whole individuals and 319 tonnes of pangolin scales.
The animation can be viewed on Traffic’s website at www.traffic.org and its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/trafficsea