More than 2 thousand tons of pangolin scalesbelonging to approximately 1,100 pangolins, were seized in Nigeria. And not only that: the operation led by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), also led to the arrest of one of the traffickers, in the network involved in the supply of large quantities of scales of pangolin to illegal trafficking networks.
The seizure marks the third NCS-WJC pangolin scale operation in 2024 and the fourth in Nigeria this year. Since July 2021, the NCS-WJC partnership has resulted in 95% of all pangolin scale seizures in Nigeria.
Pangolins are unmistakable animals, covered in a sort of medieval armor. There are 8 species in the world that live in Africa and southern and south-eastern Asia. It feeds on ants and termites (it consumes as many as 70 million insects a year!), playing an important role in insect control.
Illegal wildlife trafficking
Unfortunately this cute animal is the busiest mammal in the world and in grave danger of extinction. Its flesh is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world and its scales are used in traditional medicine, but their therapeutic value has never been proven.
According to the non-profit Pangolin Specialist Groupa pangolin is caught in the wild every five minutes for the illegal trade, despite an international trade ban that went into effect in 2017.
One of the most significant global pangolin threats is the illegal trafficking of the mammal for their meat and scales….
Posted by IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group on Saturday, December 14, 2024
A strange animal all scales
The pangolin’s body is covered with large, partly overlapping, imbricated scales, like the scales of a pine cone. When scared, pangolins roll up into a ball and emit a bad smell to defend themselves. They are able to walk only on their hind legs using their long tail to balance themselves, they have no teeth, but have a very long and protractile tongue to entangle prey.
What is being done to save them?
There are several organizations working to protect pangolins and their habitats. Among these, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is committed to the rehabilitation of pangolins saved from illegal trafficking and the protection of the ecosystems in which they live. Its founder, Thai Van Nguyen, received the prestigious in 2021 Goldman Environmental Prizean international recognition for his extraordinary contribution to conservation.
Also Friend of the Earth has taken a stand against pangolin trafficking, supporting awareness initiatives and helping to enforce trade bans in China and Vietnam through a successful campaign launched in 2019. In late 2022, this organization launched a new partnership with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife to intensify protection efforts.
