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AN ESTIMATED ONE MILLION PANGOLINS WERE TRAFFICKED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THOUGH THIS NUMBER MAY BE CONSERVATIVE GIVEN THE VOLUME OF PANGOLIN SCALE SEIZURES. ROVE SA SPOKE TO ALEXIS KRIEL, CO-CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN PANGOLIN WORKING GROUP, TO FIND OUT WHAT THE GROUP AND ITS PARTNERS ARE DOING TO STOP THE EXTINCTION OF THIS ELUSIVE MAMMAL

What makes these creatures so special and what role do they play in the ecosystem?

Pangolins are the only mammal with scales – they are so unique and distinctive that they have been characterised under their own order, Pholidota. They have been on the planet for 85 million years – crossing over with dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period.

Pangolins are voracious consumers of ants and termites and are probably responsible for keeping these common insects under control in their natural habitats. We have very little perception of what the insect life in a rainforest is like, because insects are hardly a feature of urban life. I know, I have lived in a clearing of a rainforest, and would say that the insect life was my greatest challenge. There is always going to be a knock-on effect when you remove a predator from the eco-system.

Why are these creatures poached?

The reasons are the real or perceived value of pangolins and their body parts in the illegal trade on the international market, including the demand for pangolin scales as a remedy in Chinese traditional medicine cures, the awareness of the international trade and the value attached to the sale of pangolins and their derivatives on the black market. We do not share the sale price and we encourage people and the media not to share this because it stimulates the trade.

There are eight species of pangolins – four in Asia and four in Africa. In both Asia and Africa, they are consumed as bushmeat or in restaurants as expensive wild meat and the scales are used in traditional medicine cures.

In South Africa, this illegal trade is considered organised crime and often takes place between the nationals of various countries that share their boundaries, and where pangolins naturally occur. It is not a “street sale” in the traditional meaning, in that they are not sold openly on the street. It is navigated as an illegal trade, where the perpetrators are aware of the associated penalties and jail time, and they will make every endeavour not to be caught.

There are two types of trade through the internet that we are aware of: the one is a genuine situation where the person who is advertising the sale of a pangolin is in possession of a pangolin. The other, which is quite common, is a person “fishing”. “Fishing” means that the person is not in possession of a pangolin but is aware of the trade and knows that it is lucrative. He is advertising a pangolin for sale, to see what sort of response he gets and whether it is worth his while to enter into genuinely trading a pangolin.

The public are our ears and eyes, so it is vital that anyone who is aware of a pangolin being offered for sale, should advise us of this.

Are the poaching figures increasing or decreasing?

According to the latest IUCN Red List, all species of pangolins are decreasing in numbers.

What is the estimated number of pangolins in South Africa?

We have no way of knowing this in South Africa, or anywhere else in the world. You can’t count pangolins as they are mainly nocturnal, elusive, solitary and they make no noise. But we do know that they are threatened, by virtue of the quantities of scales that are confiscated from the illegal trade.

What is being done locally and internationally to help curb the poaching and trafficking of pangolins?

The African Pangolin Working Group is mandated by the South African Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to oversee all matters relating to the trade in Temmincks pangolins in South Africa, which has included:

• being present at sting operations

• transporting of pangolins retrieved from the illegal trade to accredited pangolin specialist veterinary facilities

• contributing expert witness statements to court dockets

• the rehabilitation and release of pangolins into appropriate wild areas

• giving expert evidence in aggravation of sentencing in pangolin crime cases

• conducting training workshops for law enforcement and prosecutors

• development of resource material

Because of our wide arc of activities, interfacing with stakeholders in government and the private sector; and because we see pangolins through from confiscation to release, we have been able to achieve significant successes and our precedent court cases have achieved the maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment with increasing regularity.

Still, we believe that we are probably only retrieving 10% of the pangolins that are being illegally traded.

Is enough being done?

A dedicated core of pangolin conservationists around the world are doing everything in their power to fight against the extinction of this order. We believe that we are successful beyond what is being achieved for many other species of fauna and flora.

Ultimately, the trade has to be countered on many levels, including the demand for pangolins and their derivatives, such as the alleviation of poverty, the creation of alternate job opportunities, and awareness and education. And these efforts must be continued and increased. Unfortunately, there is no one panacea that can be applied to all the complexities involved. The trade is ongoing and there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel yet, but with so many people pushing hard, we are hopeful.

How long will it be before pangolins in the wild become extinct?

We believe that if the illegal trade in pangolins is not urgently curtailed, that they will become extinct in the wild within the next 10 years. The Asian species are already critically endangered, and the African species are vulnerable or endangered – according to the IUCN Red List. When they become critically endangered, it means that they are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

It’s been reported that habitat loss poses a threat to pangolins. How have research, rehabilitation and conservation centres stepped up to assist in this challenge?

The African Pangolin Working Group is dedicated to saving pangolins and the habitat they occupy. In South Africa, we are fortunate to have large wilderness areas and protected reserves where the habitat is mainly intact.

Human-wildlife conflict is always a problem, where population growth and human settlements expand into or border on wilderness areas. Sensitisation to pangolins and their value to us as part of our natural history; the huge role that they play in the rich indigenous lives of our people; and the illegal trade that robs us all. Of course, global warming will be catastrophic for all wildlife, and it is only a matter of time before we see the consequences of this.

What is involved in the work you do in helping to rehabilitate pangolins that have been captured?

In South Africa, the illegal trade that takes place is primarily in live animals. Once they are taken out of their home range where they are familiar with burrows (for shelter), where their food source can be found and possible predators in the area, they are kept in unsuitable conditions (by a trader), without adequate food or water and are often mishandled or become injured during their attempts to escape.

Once a pangolin has been in the trade for a week or more, it is unlikely that they will survive due to stress, starvation or injuries sustained during the ordeal. Even if it was saved by a well-intending member of the public, and released into the wild, it would be unlikely to adapt outside of a carefully monitored re-introduction programme.

The public are our eyes and ears, so it is vital that anyone who is aware of a pangolin being offered for sale, should advise us of this.

If we are alerted to the illegal trade of a pangolin, we are often able to successfully intervene, in collaboration with the South African Police Services, to retrieve the pangolin from the trade, and to guide the next steps in its rehabilitation that will include specialist veterinary high care and supported natural foraging for building the animal back to a suitable body condition.

The whole process can take anything from two months up to a year, at a considerable cost to the organisations involved. Every pangolin that is retrieved from illegal trade is fitted with telemetry for ongoing observation of its ability to adapt to a new environment; for any long-term compromise that may arise; and for continued research into the best practices for the conservation of these animals. A pangolin won’t be released until the specialist vet has given approval, which will depend on the circumstances of the patient, the age, weight and condition

How can the public assist in helping to protect pangolins?

The public can do whatever they are good at to help save pangolins. We need educators, researchers, writers, artists, business people, fund raising, etc. We have seen individuals who care about our endangered wildlife playing a big part in raising awareness on their individual social media platforms, or offering their talents, abilities and skills to organisations like ours.

For more information or how to get involved with conservation efforts, visit www.africanpangolin.org