Consider the Pangolin: SCALES (in EXPLORE)
Photo of a Pangolin figurine. Figurine is 7"w by 3"h
Flickr Friday theme: "scales"
Pangolins are very unique, being the only mammal with scales to protect their outer body.. Their scales are made of keratin, the same substance found in our finger and toe nails.
Pangolins are shy animals whose life is centered on feeding on various species of termites and ants. In the wild, they play an important role in keeping huge termite colonies in check.
Pangolins are in high demand in southern China and Vietnam because their scales are believed to have medicinal properties in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine. Their meat is also considered a delicacy. 100,000 are estimated to be trafficked a year to China and Vietnam, amounting to over ONE MILLION over the past decade. This makes Pangolins the most illegally trafficked animal in the world!
Conservation efforts are exacerbated by rapid deforestation of their native habitat. Having Pangolins in top notch zoos for breeding has proved difficult. They are extremely susceptible to pneumonia and other commonly transmitted diseases that most animals in zoos respond well to medical intervention. Preventive vaccines and other medicines for diseases that can be treated symptomatically are not successful in Pangolins.
DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN PANGOLINS ARE ON A ONE WAY ROAD TO EXTINCTION? NO! Efforts to "follow the money" made from exploitation of Pangolins may yield better results than trying to "follow the Pangolins" captured for trade. If the money dries up, so does the major incentive to traffick in Pangolins.
What can we/you do? Look into Conservation groups and see what they are doing and how we/you may help. Oddly enough, the news that Pangolins are THE MOST illegally trafficked animal in the world, is being met with increasing desire to be part of the solution to save them.
HOW TO HELP PANGOLINS UPDATE:
I researched and found an organization that is involved with saving the Pangolins, as well as other species. It is the WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK. Their website is Wildnet.org . It has attained a 4 star rating from Charities Navigator, the highest rating that can be given. Charities Navigator rates charities of all kinds. The 4 Star Rating means contributions go directly into actions to help those in need that a particular organization is involved with. Their overhead costs are met in other ways, contributions are used exclusively to help save those in peril. Pangolins are very much one of the species the Wildlife Conservation Network is striving to save! Check them out: Wildnet.org
Consider the Pangolin: SCALES (in EXPLORE)
Photo of a Pangolin figurine. Figurine is 7"w by 3"h
Flickr Friday theme: "scales"
Pangolins are very unique, being the only mammal with scales to protect their outer body.. Their scales are made of keratin, the same substance found in our finger and toe nails.
Pangolins are shy animals whose life is centered on feeding on various species of termites and ants. In the wild, they play an important role in keeping huge termite colonies in check.
Pangolins are in high demand in southern China and Vietnam because their scales are believed to have medicinal properties in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine. Their meat is also considered a delicacy. 100,000 are estimated to be trafficked a year to China and Vietnam, amounting to over ONE MILLION over the past decade. This makes Pangolins the most illegally trafficked animal in the world!
Conservation efforts are exacerbated by rapid deforestation of their native habitat. Having Pangolins in top notch zoos for breeding has proved difficult. They are extremely susceptible to pneumonia and other commonly transmitted diseases that most animals in zoos respond well to medical intervention. Preventive vaccines and other medicines for diseases that can be treated symptomatically are not successful in Pangolins.
DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN PANGOLINS ARE ON A ONE WAY ROAD TO EXTINCTION? NO! Efforts to "follow the money" made from exploitation of Pangolins may yield better results than trying to "follow the Pangolins" captured for trade. If the money dries up, so does the major incentive to traffick in Pangolins.
What can we/you do? Look into Conservation groups and see what they are doing and how we/you may help. Oddly enough, the news that Pangolins are THE MOST illegally trafficked animal in the world, is being met with increasing desire to be part of the solution to save them.
HOW TO HELP PANGOLINS UPDATE:
I researched and found an organization that is involved with saving the Pangolins, as well as other species. It is the WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK. Their website is Wildnet.org . It has attained a 4 star rating from Charities Navigator, the highest rating that can be given. Charities Navigator rates charities of all kinds. The 4 Star Rating means contributions go directly into actions to help those in need that a particular organization is involved with. Their overhead costs are met in other ways, contributions are used exclusively to help save those in peril. Pangolins are very much one of the species the Wildlife Conservation Network is striving to save! Check them out: Wildnet.org