Conservation won’t be achieved in American zoos

Pangolin

Regarding “Pittsburgh Zoo at Forefront of Saving Endangered Pangolins” (May 19):

While it is great to see pangolins getting more public attention, I am shocked to hear that American zoos have acquired live pangolins under the guise of conservation. If they had talked to almost anyone involved on the ground in pangolin conservation, they would have gotten a very different opinion. As a matter of fact, a group of 20 pangolin experts, scientists and representatives of conservation groups gathered recently in Washington, D.C., and agreed that there is no conservation value to be gained from taking pangolins from the wild and bringing them to North American zoos.

As an African working in Africa on pangolin conservation, I believe it is irresponsible of zoos to claim to be furthering pangolin conservation in order to condone importing live pangolins. First, with very few exceptions, pangolins die quickly in captivity. Second, we know for every pangolin that is successfully shipped from Africa or Asia to the U.S., many others will have died during capture or on the long journey. And since pangolins have, with very few exceptions, never been successfully bred in captivity, I assume that all these are wild-caught pangolins from Togo, thereby contributing to the trade that is wiping out the species.

There are legitimate conservationists right now in Africa and Asia working hard under duress rehabilitating and releasing pangolins rescued from trade, as well as studying pangolins and building the knowledge needed to save them in the wild. These are all underfunded and run by committed conservationists.

If American zoos holding pangolins want to help, they should support these meaningful conservation efforts on the ground and not add to the existing wildlife trade crisis pangolins are facing. ROD CASSIDY

Sangha Lodge Dzanga Sangha Central African Republic