The Pangolin - The world’s only scaled mammal

The Chinese Pangolin, Manis Pentadactyla, and the Sunda Pangolin, Manis javanica, are two of the four critically endangered species of Asian Pangolin[1],[2]. Pangolins are evolutionarily distinct, being the world’s only scaled mammal[3],[4]. Pangolins are covered in keratinised scales, with large, sharp claws and a long sticky tongue, adapted for digging, burrowing and raiding termite mounds and ant nests[5]. Pangolins play an important ecological role by regulating the social insect population; each adult pangolin can consume more than 70 million insects annually[5].

Pangolins are extremely vulnerable toexploitation as they are long-lived, slow growing, with a low reproductive output of 1-2 young a year[1];[2];[6].The gestation period is around 3-4 months, and the infant clings to the mothers tail for the next 3 months[7].

Pangolins are difficult to breed in captivity as very little is known abouttheir reproductive behaviours[8];[9].IUCN rated their conservation breedingpotential in lowest possibly category[8].

Pangolins inhabit primary and secondary forests, across Asia (Figures 3 & 4)].

M.pentadactyla has been expatriated out of its native range in China due to direct exploitation and habitat degradation[1],[2]. Difficulties quantifying the number of individuals remaining in the wild or the density of individuals due to secretive, solitary and nocturnal behvaiours[10].

Figure 1: When threatened Pangolins curl up into a tight ball, unfortunately this makes them easy targets for poachers and predators[3]. Figure 2: Pangolin infant curled in ball ©Paul Hunt

Habitat and Distribution

Figure 3: Distribution of M.pentadactyla across Asia [1].

In Vietnam, it was discovered that M.javanica and M.pentadactyla have distinct but overlapping ranges[11]. Interviews with hunters suggested that M.pentadactyla was ground-dwelling, sleeping in burrows at the base of trees, making them easier to catch[11]. M.javanica was suggested to have been more arboreal, living and nesting in trees. Both species eat ants and termites[11].

Conservation moving forwardIn 2014, the IUCN SSC Pangolin specialist group defined a clear conservation action plan for M.pentadactyla and M.javanica, over the next 10 years (Table 1))[8].

Table 1: The action plan set in place by the IUCN SSC Pangolin specialist group, for all species of Pangolin[8].

Have wildlife trade laws successfully protected Pangolins?

Some recent conservation successes include:❈ 2 ZSL EDGE fellows currently studying release protocols in Vietnam for M.javanica[4].❈ Successful treatment, rehabilitation of captive populations[23].❈ DNA forensics identifying individual species from seized scales[28]. ❈ 8 species of Pangolin moved from Appendix II to Appendix I[14].❈ Development of a care brochure for captive husbandry of Pangolins[8].❈ Raised public awareness & launch of the IUCN Pangolin website www.pangolinsg.org.uk[8].

References

• The IUCN suspected a decline of 80% of M.javanica and a 90% decline of M.pentadactyla , over the last 21 years (approx. three generations) [1] [2].

• Pangolin numbers are declining rapidly due to both hunting and habitat loss (logging, clearing and palm oil plantations)[11].

• Uncontrollable trade of pangolins for meat in wildlife restaurants, pangolin scales for uses in traditional medicine and their skins often used for clothing[10].

• Pangolin scales have more than doubled in price since 2000; currently worth approximately $600 (US) per Kg[12].

• Hard to identify origin & species of scales as countries trade over land borders[8].• Over 250,000 individual Asian pangolins estimated to have been traded illegally

since the trade ban was put into place in 2000[13]. • Poverty and corruption in many range states means bribes are often accepted for

trade to go unnoticed[11]. • The IUCN SSP pangolin specialist group estimate that if trade continues in the

current way, a further 80% of the M.javanica & further 90% of M. pentadactyla will be wiped out in the next 21 years, leading to potential extinction of the remaining populations[8].

Main threats and causes of decline

Problems with captivity & release • Pangolin captivity programmes, such as at the Carnivore & Pangolin Conservation

Programme (CPCP) in Vietnam, have shown that their life expectancy in captivity is short, most not surviving past 6 months[9],[17].

• Their specialist diet makes captive husbandry difficult[18].• IUCN & CPCP developed guidelines for quarantine and captive rehabilitation[19],[20]. • Release is difficult without knowing exactly where individuals originated from[11]. • Seized pangolins are badly injured, dehydrated and require urgent medical care[21].• Lack of specialist rescue centres and wildlife officers - most animals seized are released

without medical care and often die, spread disease or are recaptured[22].

Figure 5: Burning of illegally traded pangolin carcasses after a seizure in Vietnam.

Figure 6: Deforestation in Tesso Nilo, Sumatra © WWF

Figure 7: Pangolin infant clings to mothers tail for first 3 months of life [9].

The Plight of the Pangolin: Tackling Asia’s Wild Obsession

1. Challender, D., et al. (2014a) ‘Manis javanica.’ The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: version 2014.2. [online] [Accessed: 08 October 2016] http://www.iucnredlist.org.2. Challender, D. et al. (2014b). ‘Manis pentadactyla.’ The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, version 2014.2. [Online] [Accessed: 08 October 2016] http://www.iucnredlist.org. 3. ZSL. (No date) Pangolin Conservation. [Online] [Accessed: 10 October 2016] https://www.zsl.org/conservation/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade-crisis/pangolin-conservation4. EDGE ZSL. (No date) Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). [Online] [Accessed: 10 October 2016] http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=14115. Francis, C. M. (2008). A Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia. p.392. Princeton University Press 6.Lim, N. T. L. and Ng, P. K. L. (2007). ‘Home range, activity cycle and natal den usage of a female Sunda pangolin Manis javanica (Mammalia: Pholidota) in Singapore’. Endangered Species Research, (4) pp.233-240. 7.Nowak, R.M. (ed.) (1999). Walkers Mammals of the World. 6th edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London. 8.Challender, D. et al. (2014c). Scaling up pangolin conservation. IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group Conservation Action Plan. Zoological Society of London, London, UK. 9.Challender, D.W.S (2008) ‘Asian Pangolins: How behavioural research can contribute to their conservation’ In TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Proccedings of the workshop on trade and conservation of Pangolins native to South and Southeast Asia, Singapore Zoo, 30th June – 2 July 2008. Patel, S. and Chin, S.Y (eds.) Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, pp. 95 -102. 10.CITES. (2000). Amendments to Appendices I and II of the Convention adopted by the Conference of the Parties. (11), Gigiri, Kenya, 10 April - 20 April 2000. Geneva, Switzerland: CITES. 11.Newton, P. et al.(2008). ‘Pangolins in Peril: using local hunters' knowledge to conserve elusive species in Vietnam’. Endangered Species Research (6) pp. 41-53. 12.Zhou, Z.M et al. (2014). ‘Scaling up Pangolin protection in China.’ Frontiers in Ecology and Environment, 12 (2) pp. 97-98.13.Challender, D. et al.(2015). ‘Understanding markets to conserve trade- threatened species in CITES.’ Biological Conservation 187 pp. 249-259 14.CITES. (2016). Consideration of Proposals for amendment of Appendices I and II at the Conference of the Parties (17), Johannesburg, South Africa, 24th September – 5th October 2016. Geneva, Switzerland: CITES. 15.Wu, S.B. & Ma, G.Z. 2007. The status and conservation of pangolins in China. TRAFFIC East Asia Newsletter. 4: 1–5. 16.Duckworth, J.W., et al. (2008). ‘Manis pentadactyla’. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010 (4). 17.Hua, L. et al. (2015). ‘Captive breeding of pangolins: current status, problems and future prospects’. Zookeys, 507 pp.99-114 18.Yang, C. W et al. (2007). ‘History and husbandry of pangolins in captivity.’ Zoo Biology, 26 pp. 223-230. 19.IUCN (2002). ‘Guidelines for the Placement of Confiscated Animals.’ Gland, Switzerland and ERWDA, Abu Dhabi, UAE, IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group: 24. 20.Clark, L. et al. (2008). ‘A long way from home: the health status of Pangolins confiscated from Illegal Wildlife trade in Vietnam.’ In TRAFFIC Southeast Asia. Proccedings of the workshop on trade and conservation of Pangolins native to South and Southeast Asia, Singapore Zoo, 30th June – 2 July 2008. Patel, S. and Chin, S.Y (eds.) Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, pp. 111-118. 21.Manh Hiep, N. (2008). ‘Pangolin Conservation in Vietnam.’ In Proccedings of the workshop on trade and conservation of Pangolins native to South and Southeast Asia, Singapore Zoo, 30th June – 2 July 2008. Patel, S. and Chin, S.Y (eds.) TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, pp. 111-118. 22.Sterling E.J, Hurley M.M, Le M.D (2006) Vietnam — a natural history. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT 23. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (2015) Quarterly newsletter, Issue 2, January – March 2015.24. Courchamp F.et al. (2006) ‘Rarity value and species extinction: The anthropogenic Allee effect’. PLoS Biol 4 (12), pp. 41525. Compton, J. in litt., to TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, 8 February 1999. 26. Xu, L. (2009). The Pangolin Trade in China. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Trade and Conservation of Pangolins Native to South and Southeast Asia, 30 June-2 July 2008, Singapore Zoo, Singapore. TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 27. Xu. L et al.(2016) ‘An Overview of Pangolin Trade in China.’ TRAFFIC Briefing paper pp. 2-3 28. Zhang H, et al. (2015) ‘Molecular tracing of confiscated pangolin scales for conservation and illegal trade monitoring in Southeast Asia.’ Global Ecology and Conservation(4) pp. 414-422

Figure 4: Distribution of M.javanica across Asia [2].

Conservation Plan – Wildlife Trade Laws

Figure 9: Shows the timeline of laws and conservation protection placed upon M.pentadactyla and M.javanica since 1975 (Not including laws that are specific to certain range states).

Since 1975 the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) has attempted to protect M.javanica & M.pentadactyla by controlling export and import data for the species, placing them on Appendix II[14].

The CITES Convention banned trade on all wild caught Asian Pangolin species in 2000, but how far has this trade ban been effective in conserving M.javanica and M.pentadactyla?

Trade becomes totally unsustainable and out of control after the trade ban. Illegality coupled with rarity causes demand to fluctuate and prices to rise –

anthropogenic allee effect[24]. Prices of scales in China (per kg), rise from $45 in China 1998[25], to $132 in 2006[15];

[26] then to approximately $500 in 2016[27]. Since 2000, over one million pangolins illegally traded even though the ban was in

place, making them the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal[1];[2];[8]. 264,736 individual Asian Pangolins traded between 2000 and 2015 despite the ban

in 2000[13].

CITES (2000) ban on Pangolin trade, has not been effective in conserving these species. Education and demand reduction are the two most important tools for conservation in this instance. Trade could have been more sustainable by controlling imports and exports.

Emily Summer

Figure 8: Fried Pangolin scales for sale in China[8].