How can this harmless little critter be the world’s most endangered species Pangolin.
“As of last week, 38.2 tons of pangolin scales have left Africa this year. One pangolin is poached from the wild every five minutes, and it’s likely that the African pangolin will be extinct in two decades.” According to an article in News24
The article goes on to say…
“The pangolin’s decimation is caused by a loss of habitat, the bush meat trade in central and West Africa and, most pressingly, a demand from Vietnam and China for pangolin meat and scales. The meat is considered a delicacy and the scales – ground into a powder – are believed to treat a variety of health conditions.”
This of course has sky rocketed prices and demand. Syndicates and locals in various countries in Africa are in high gear to catch this little defenseless creature in the wild.
Moses in Uganda works with local informants and government officials to rescue pangolin from the wildlife trafficking trade. Lisa Hywood from the Tikki Hywood Trust in Zimbabwe is at the forefront of combating the poaching across the African continent.
However, as tremendous as the efforts of these Wildlife Heroes are to save the Pangolin from extinction the demand must be curbed.
In the long run, the only way to stop the Pangolin poaching is to stop the demand. To stop the demand requires people in Asia to stop eating and using Pangolin meat and body parts.
A possible Solution…
Thanks to the award-winning South African filmmakers Bruce Young (Blood Lions) and Johan Vermeulen (Kalahari Tails) this documentary film “Eye of the Pangolin” is freely accessible for viewing around the world on multiple platforms. Their idea is to make this “the most watched wildlife documentary in history” and by doing so bring an end to the rampant poaching of Pangolin and save these little critters from extinction.
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