Nursing Corona the pangolin
Chinese medicine (TCM), and are also killed for meat.
They have been linked to the transmission of the novel coronavirus though this remains an ongoing scientific debate.
Now, there is renewed hope for their survival. This week, the Chinese government removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in TCM. Jinfeng Zhou, of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, says this was a result of two years of its “unremitting efforts”.
That pangolin is no longer legal to serve as a TCM ingredient is a “titanic victory” for the imperilled species, says APWG chairperson Ray Jansen. “This is an absolute turning point in the conservation of the most trafficked and traded mammal on our planet. The greatest threat to all of the world’s pangolins has been the demand for pangolin scales in TCM or pharmacopeia.”
The animal’s hard, keratinous scales are ground into powder and used as an ingredient in a number of commercial remedies to treat medical conditions or spiritual ailments. “Many tons of scales are exported from Africa and other parts of Asia into China each year representing hundreds and thousands of pangolins to satisfy this insatiable demand.”
Last year authorities intercepted more than 97 tons of scales from over 150 000 African pangolins but only around 10% of the actual trade is halted.
Three successive decisions by the Chinese government have led to a “turn around” in the future survival of the world’s pangolins.
“The first one, a few months ago, was that the Chinese public were unable to claim on medical expenses if they purchased a medical product that contained any form of pangolin derivative such as bones or scales.
“The second milestone, a few days ago, was the uplisting of the Chinese pangolin from schedule 1 to schedule 2, giving the Chinese pangolin the highest protection status.
“Now banning pangolins and pangoin derivatives from TCM culminates in what I consider as the most significant conservation action decision ever made for the entire pangolin order, the Pholidota,” says Jansen.
If strictly regulated and enforced, pangolin populations “may now well recover from what was certainly a looming extinction crisis for all pangolin species.
“We commend the Chinese government in this milestone decision and in so doing, creating hope towards a future for the world’s pangolins.”
As the pangolin trade is illicit, it can be expected the manufacture of pharmacopeia will also move underground.
Two of the pangolins were just found walking in the road in township areas
Ray Jansen
CHAIR OF THE APWG