World unites in bid to save pangolins

IF THERE was a mascot at the Cites conference at the Sandton Convention Centre, it would be the pangolin. Soft toys and radio-controlled specimens reminded all that the scaly anteater was high on the priority list for protection.

Advocates were rewarded for their efforts on Wednesday when all eight species were uplisted to Appendix I at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

In the decade leading up to 2014, an estimated 1 million pangolins were taken from the wild for illegal international trade, said the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw).

They are also highly vulnerable due to their low rate of fertility, producing only one offspring a year.

Pangolins are nocturnal, ant- and termite-eating mammals whose bodies are covered with overlapping scales made of keratin, the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails, and rhino horn.

“Two separate decisions were taken – one for Asian and one for African pangolin,” said Ifaw assistant campaigns officer Mark Hofberg.

“The African decision was unanimous; and only one country – Indonesia – voted against the Asian proposal.

“This is a perfect example of when the international community can come together for a species that truly needs help and enacts strong, global regulations that can make a real difference.”

Senegal brought the African application, saying the pangolins were exploited for bushmeat and medicinal parts. It said the growing demand in Asian markets was a turning point, and the fact that the Asian and Indian species were similar meant hunting was directed towards the African market. It said the trafficking of pangolins had been ignored for far too long.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature describes pangolins as threatened with extinction. An Appendix I listing, which restricts trade, would also solve the enforcement issue of identifying the various scales.

“A Cites Appendix I listing would provide stronger protection, barring commercial trade in all pangolin species and placing dual control over remaining trade by requiring both importing and exporting countries to issue permits and bolster domestic protections for these imperilled species,” said Hofberg.

All eight species were uplisted, to the delight of the convention.

“We are happy that the world has finally decided to pay attention to the plight of this little-known and amazingly unique animal. They are one of the most imperilled species on the planet and it is about time that we wake up and do something to save them,” Hofberg said.

It is exploited for bushmeat and medicine