CHINA'S INSATIABLE LOVE FOR PANGOLINS PUTS ISLAND ON ALERT

Frozen pangolin at a Chinese restaurant

The talk of the town among wildlife enthusiasts in Sri Lanka is that the pangolin is under threat! The earliest evidence relating to the existence of this animal dating back to the Pliocene and Pleistocene Epochs suggests that the pangolin has survived for a very long time. Researchers have found pangolin fossil from rocks during these periods in Cape Province, Africa. But as at today they are walking faster towards extinction. These scaly, toothless anteaters have become the world’s most trafficked species in a way that all of its eight species have been categorised as either ‘vulnerable’, ‘endangered’ or ‘critically endangered’. World Pangolin Day falls on February 17, but the rate at which they are being trafficked across borders is quite alarming! Although pangolins have been included in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species

(CITES) prohibiting the trade of any of its parts or derivatives across borders, China and Vietnam seems to be getting a larger supply of the species from all over the world.

In Sri Lanka, although the pangolin population is still unknown, the animal is being hunted for meat, by both locals as well as the Chinese. A growing trend also shows that its scales are being smuggled to China. With the sudden increase in Chinese nationals in the country, earlier the street dog population in areas such as Hambantota started to dwindle and now, the pangolins. Quite interestingly, Sri Lanka is set to be one of the hosts of the CITES meeting to be held in 2019 and she would record a big win if authorities contribute in protecting the rest of the pangolins and put a stop to the illegal international trade, currently increasing in the country.

Hence, the sheds light on the law which protects pangolins from being harmed or smuggled and the importance of conserving them.

Indian Pangolin

Locally known as the ‘kaballawa’, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), is a primarily nocturnal animal easily recognized by its full armour of scales. A nationally protected species under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance

(FFPO) only one of its eight species is found in Each animal could cost up to $ 1000 in restaurants From 2011 through October 2013 the number of illegally trafficked pangolins lies between 100,000 and 210,000. The widespread extinction of pangolins was mentioned on the Traffic Bulletin (April 2016, Volume 28) Sri Lanka. As they live on a specialized diet of ants and termites, they often die in captivity as they are elusive and slow to breed. The eight species of pangolin contribute to a wide degree of activity. Some species prefer to be nocturnal, sleeping in a curled ball during the day. Others such as the long-tailed pangolin are more active during the day time, using their sharpened sense of smell to locate insects.

All eight species of pangolins have been listed in the Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trades in Endangered Species

(CITES) giving it the highest levels of protection from commercial trade. All eight species are also classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as threatened with extinction while two of the species closest to the problem are classified as critically endangered.

Illegal international trade

Pangolins have become the most frequently seized mammal in Asia’s illegal wildlife trade, as smugglers sell the creatures to meet culinary and medicinal demands. Pangolin meat is known to be a delicacy in China and Vietnam and according to sources, in Southern China, each animal could cost up to $ 1000 in restaurants. But most of their worth comes from their scales which are used in Chinese medicine to cure illnesses from asthma to reproductive problems and even cancer. In addition to that, pangolin fetuses and blood too are used in medicine while stuffed pangolins are sold as souvenirs. As such they are killed, skinned and frozen before being traded on the black market.

The widespread extinction of pangolins was mentioned on the Traffic Bulletin (April 2016, Volume 28) – a publication affiliated with institutional partners such as the World Wildlife Fund, IUCN and the CITES. Its special feature highlighted that African pangolins are now being smuggled to meet the demand in countries such as China and Vietnam. From 2011 through October 2013 the number of illegally trafficked

pangolins lies between 100,000 and 210,000.