Nature conservationists are concerned about pangolin poaching in SA

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Nature conservationists are concerned about the rate of pangolin poaching and trafficking in the country. According to wildlife authorities, the endangered species, pangolins, are the world’s most poached and trafficked mammals in the world.

They are mostly destined for Asian markets. Their meat and scales are used for traditional medicines. A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Tzaneen, Limpopo, has been protecting pangolins and taking care of them.

Pangolins are sometimes mistaken as reptiles. They are actually scaly-skinned mammals.

They are in high demand in countries like China and Vietnam. Their meat is considered a delicacy and pangolin scales are used in traditional medicine and remedies to treat a range of ailments such as asthma, arthritis and others.

This is despite scientific proof that pangolin meat and scales do not cure any illnesses. A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Tzaneen has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing pangolins that have been orphaned, injured, displaced, or confiscated from illegal traders.

Emma De Jager, from the centre, says they protect them to ensure that they do not go extinct.

“One of the species we also work with are these amazing guys, the ground Temminck’s pangolin. So, these guys are the most poached and trafficked mammal in the world and they are endangered. And to be quite honest, they don’t have long life left until they’d be completely extinct. So, what we do here is we try to medically help them, rehabilitate them and get them back into the world where they can produce more pangolins.”

De Jager says each pangolin costs them between R150 000 and R250 000 to save and release them back to the wild with a tracker.

“So most of South Africa’s pangolins are being shipped over to Asia, for their scales predominantly. And it’s believed culturally that they have a medicinal purpose. We know scientifically that they actually don’t, it’s just keratin, is just our fingernails, so you could chew your fingernails as well. But I’ve heard from all different types of ailments like cancer, aphrodisiacs, anorexia and even just the common cold. And actually, if you go to Asia their scales are in a lot of medicines, even in more Western hospitals.”

Some international students from Europe and America who have an interest in protecting these endangered species say that Africa is lucky to still have pangolins. They say that the animals must be protected for the coming generations.

“I knew I wanted to do something big, away from home.  I have never been to Africa before, I’ll spend three months here because I think being with different types of animals would just be so amazing,” says one of the students.

An anthropology lecturer from the University of Venda, Dolphin Mabale, says the endangerment of pangolins stems from various beliefs across the world.

“The most bizarre belief about the pangolin is that the fetus of the animal is believed to possess properties that are supposed to be healing. That said, this means that the pangolin is highly endangered because, if the fetus is believed to possess healing properties, it means that you know the reproductive cycle is shortened and then the reproduction of the pangolin, the production system itself of the pangolin will one day be brought to a halt. Locally the pangolin is associated with rain and rain making.”

Rehabilitation activists believe that if the pangolins are not protected, they will go extinct in the coming years.

They are calling upon the government and the public to assist in protecting these endangered species.