World Pangolin Day
Photo Credit @ sjrankin
Today is World Pangolin Day and I want to take this perfect opportunity to talk about Pangolins.
These peculiar and extraordinary wild creatures which are found in Asia and Africa are sadly under immense threat from poachers that hunt them for wild meat and for use in traditional medicine. As a result, Pangolin populations are in severe decline.
I know for a fact my kids love Pangolins and last school year, they were very lucky to have Conservation Biologist and leading Pangolin Specialist Ms. Elisa Panjang visit their class to talk to them about Sunda Pangolins, which is the species that is found in Borneo, where we live.
I have compiled 4 facts about Pangolins that I will be discussing with my kids today to remind them of the magical creatures that inhabit our Natural World:
- Pangolins, or scaly anteaters, are unique mammals covered in hard scales, comprised of keratins (much like our fingernails).
- The name Pangolin comes from the Malay word ‘Penggulung’, which means roller. When pangolins are threatened they roll up into a ball.
- Pangolins love to eat ants and termites and this makes them excellent ‘housekeepers’ as they help to keep the populations of these destructive pests under control in the forest.
- Pangolins are the most illegally traded wild animals on the planet. A pangolin is snatched from the wild every 5 minutes.
They need our help. Let’s talk about Pangolins to raise awareness about the threats they are under and how important it is that we protect them, so that our Children will have a future where these little studied animals roam freely in the wild. After all, it is their planet too.
