Speech: No more; It is our turn to guard them.

This speech was delivered at a PR conference event calling for awareness and protection of endangered pangolins two months before World Pangolin Day (15 February 2020), prior to WRS’s main #DonateToDefend event. It was delivered by Pangolin Specialist Group official Paul Thomson, and as a joint effort from an officiated panel of WRS board members, the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group representatives, conservationists and animal activists towards local and regional policy maker representatives, speakers of parliament and the media.

Opening

100,000. That is the number of pangolins that are trafficked worldwide each year. Every hour, 11 of these critically endangered mammals are forced and taken from their homes, beaten repeatedly and brutally murdered. And to what end? All the violence and damage, so that its meat and scales can be illegally traded in black markets—for Chinese traditional medicine, manufacturing of clothes, crystal methamphetamine, and as a delicacy within China and Vietnam.

These docile, insect-eating, scaled animals are native to about 51 countries and are the world’s most highly hunted and trafficked mammal. From 2000 to 2013, an estimate of 1 million pangolins were killed and traded. Yet, one of the saddest fact is that people only began to pay attention when numbers of pangolins have depleted and is still plummeting.

Progressive Perceptions

Several Asian cultures incorrectly believe that pangolin scales have medicinal properties that can do wonders for pregnant women to cancer patients. A study by WildAid found that 70% of Chinese citizens truly believe that pangolin by-products does have value in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Though there has been statements of pangolin scales causing adverse effects from bloating and jaundice to liver disfunction. Even as there are little to no scientific evidence on the traditional belief, similarly for ivories, it caused and is still resulting in a large demand on the black market.

This idea of pangolin parts with healing properties has been sold and commercialised so well that it is simply impossible to not acknowledge how lucrative pangolin trafficking has become. It’s clear that the world’s only scaly mammal is being exploited for commercial gain. Scales from a single pangolin can offer a life-changing sum of money for people in the black market, especially when it all resides from some of the poorest countries in the world. One kilogram of pangolin is worth $600 to an illegal trader and more than half of that to a restaurant in Vietnam. Nonetheless, earning from trafficking pangolins is in no way ethical not sustainable as the species are incredibly close to extinction.

As long as there are people who still believe pangolin scales helps them, there will be a demand and the cruel cycle repeats itself. Albeit, most tend to forget or choose to be ignorant towards how progressive and advanced the world and technology has become. We now have alternatives, modern medicine that can replace those medical needs.

With the growth and integrations of the old and new—globalisation and modernisation—there is certain hope that we can also reduce pangolin trafficking numbers through changing public opinions. According to a survey by the University of Hong Kong and WildAid last year, two-thirds of people were against the use of pangolins in TCM. Moreover, 85% agreed that TCM should stop the use of endangered species while starting to promote sustainable and herbal alternatives.

For governments, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and traditional Asian medicine community, there ought to be combined efforts towards eradicating consumer demands for pangolin-based traditional Asian medicines, especially in China and Vietnam. Subsequently, we will be working closely with other conservation organisations to imbue promotion of and investment in herbal and synthetic alternatives.

Possibly slowly, but we are confident that minds and hearts will surely show us their support in defending our fellow endangered, mammal creature.

Biodiversity

What people do not know, is how essentially valuable these shy creatures are to both humans and the ecosystem. Amongst the vast biodiversity, pangolins are known as the guardians of forests and habitats—from preventing termite destruction to maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Pangolins have survived thousands of years of natural changes and quietly protecting us in their ways, only to be on the verge of extinction at our hands—due to habitat loss and mostly illegal poaching. These natural pest controllers protect our crops, reducing the need for toxic insecticides, but we thank them by snatching them of their homes and lives.

More so, pangolins do not reproduce quickly. Attempts in getting pangolins to live and reproduce in captivity have failed, due to their greatly specialised diets and weak immune systems. Being highly unsuitable to keep in captivity, most pangolins die within three years as compared to their usual life expectancies of 20 years.

Researchers of World Animal Protection found that hunters were not killing pangolins out of malice, and that some were actually unaware of the consequences they have made. None of them disliked pangolins. Instead, nearly 95% said they strongly liked and quite liked pangolins. Several even said they felt pangolins were important to the environment by eating termites that killed trees and by creating holes for other animals to live in. Therefore, further elaborating on how lucrative and commercialised pangolin trafficking is now.

What we aim to do for these hunters is to provide support for alternative livelihoods. There will be an alleviation of poverty and education programmes in these rural communities wherever pangolins are found. Ultimately, to stop the slaughter, and to give those wronged a second chance.

Awareness and Stricter Policies

Pangolins are protected by national and international legislation throughout their ranges, but predominantly in Asia, illegal hunting flourishes still. Primarily for commercial purposes, these trades occur in spite of prohibitions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as CITES.

The illicit trade in pangolin parts and derivatives has been going on for decades now. They have been overlooked in terms of collective conservation attention and action. For the longest time, conservationists and pangolin enthusiasts have been pushing for governments and policy makers to take this dire situation into consideration and make a bigger change. The lack of awareness, information and education on the pangolins’ plight, along with insufficient political pressure, has made tackling the illegal trading more challenging. However, all these are changing. There are growing awareness of pangolins and interest in the conversations, partly due to and driven by the high volumes of trafficking seen till date.

With the bulk of demand in pangolin meat and scales coming from China, it is crucial that we begin there. Our next specific goal is to erase the grey area in China’s pangolin trading; having a complete removal and ban within the country and from the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China—the definitive traditional medicine handbook for anyone working in the industry. It will be illegal to buy pangolin scales on the streets but is legally sanctioned in certain hospital clinics. Eventually, making trading of pangolins entirely illegal altogether.

Of course, to also place and enforce stronger policies in popular trading hubs, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, on a regional to international level. Meaning to say, more collaborative investigations amongst national, regional and international law enforcement agencies, as well as closer communications or intelligence sharing between countries that act as transit and destination points for poached pangolins. With that, we can shed light on parties that continue to mastermind the cruelties of trapping, murdering and transportation of pangolins outside across country borders.

Conclusion

To conclude: It is the 21st Century. We should not be eating species to extinction, much less allowing continuance of such illegal trades. What is theirs, a home, is also ours.

So today, I urge all of you to move along with our organisations’ objectives. To choose awareness and not ignorance. To unite in sharing unto others the threat pangolins, all over the world, are facing. To contribute and encourage positive action for these unique creatures, if not for all endangered wildlife and our biodiversity.

No more ignorance. No more excuses. No more losses.

No more. It is our turn to be their guardians now.

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