Strong Demand in Illegal Pangolin Trade Leads Countries to Take Action

 

You may be surprised to learn that the world’s most trafficked endangered mammal is a strange-looking animal.

It is the pangolin, also known as the scaly¹ anteater.

An adult pangolin can be almost 100 centimeters in length, although the smallest are only about 30 centimeters long.

The animal’s body is covered in small, thin scales that help to protect the animal from attack. Pangolins can fight off attackers with their sharp claws. Yet they possess little defense² against human attackers.

Several years ago, demand for the meat and scales of pangolins was rising in China. It got so high that all eight kinds of pangolin were declared vulnerable or critically endangered.

The International Union For Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, is an organization working to protect wild animals and their environment. It claims that pangolins represent as much as 20 percent of all illegal wildlife trade. The IUCN reports that more than a million pangolins were illegally hunted in the 10 years leading up to 2014.

Environmental activists³ and nongovernmental organizations have worked hard to learn all they can about pangolins. An IUCN Species Survival Commission formed a pangolin specialist group in 2012. One hundred experts from 25 countries are a part of the group.

Commission members organized a pangolin awareness⁴ day each year in February, starting in 2014. It is called World Pangolin Day.

Pangolins can be found in parts of Asia, including China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

In Africa, Uganda appears to be a leading supplier of pangolins. Radio Free Asia reports the pangolin trade is highly profitable. Traders can purchase the animals at low prices in Uganda, for example, and then sell them at high prices in Asia.

Experts say that most of the illegally bought and sold pangolins are shipped either to China or to Vietnam. In both countries, the animals’ scales are said to be prized for medicinal value.

At least one media report noted⁵ that some people have worn pangolin scales like jewelry⁶.

In addition, pangolin meat is considered a rare, very costly⁷ food. In Vietnam, some restaurants serve the meat as their most costly meal.

In 2016, an international agency governing wildlife trading worldwide banned illegal hunting, trafficking and sale of pangolins. All 182 member nations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species voted to support the ban.

Some countries slow to move

China’s government has been increasing its efforts to fight the pangolin trade. And on January 1, Vietnam amended⁸ its laws to increase prison sentences for illegal wildlife sales. The longest sentence is now 15 years, up from seven years.

But when it comes to the illegal trade of pangolins and rhinoceros⁹ horns, Vietnam has been slow to act on its promises. The same has been true of its willingness to enforce the strongest sentences.

In 2014, CNN television reported that Vietnam had only a limited ability to deal with rescued pangolins. Activists working to halt the trade and care for captured pangolins had little support, the report said.

Hong Kong has also been slow in enacting¹⁰ punishment. There is no scientific evidence to support the belief that pangolin scales have medical uses. Still, many citizens in Hong Kong apparently¹¹ believe they do.

Pangolins’ thick protective scales are made from keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails. Users heat the animal’s skin in water to remove the scales, then dry and cook them.

On March 22, the French news agency Agence France Presse reported that some Hong Kong businesses were still involved in the trade. They were selling pangolins scales, sometimes hidden behind boxes containing other goods.

One salesman selling the scales for $108 for only 40 grams claimed that the scales could remove toxic¹² substances. The scales can cost more than $3,000 for just one kilogram.

The illegal trade in pangolins is reported to be widespread in Indonesia. Between 2007 and 2015, Indonesian officials seized 31,000 pangolins.

Separately, in Malaysia, Thailand, and Uganda, some 21,000 pangolins were reported to have been collected during the same period.

Indonesia has declared bans on the hunting and trading of the endangered animals, while threatening severe punishment for violators. But enforcement is a problem, with a lack of money going to control the trade.

Pangolin publicity¹³ problem

Endangered pangolins have gained much less international attention than elephants and rhinoceroses¹⁴. Some experts say these larger animals possess a kind of special appeal lacking in the smaller anteaters.

Pangolins are only active at night, making them difficult to observe in the wild. In captivity¹⁵, pangolins easily fall victim to disease and depression, so they are rarely to be found with other animals in zoos. An exception can be seen in Taiwan, where they have been treated as stars of the animal world. They are taken to zoos, brought back to good health when injured, and returned to the wild when possible.

I’m Pete Musto. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.

Words in This Story

trafficked – adj. bought or sold illegally, especially between countries

mammal – n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

scaly – adj. covered with many small thin plates

claw(s) – n. a sharp curved part on the toe of an animal, such as a cat or bird

vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically¹⁶, mentally, or emotionally

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

awareness – n. knowledge that something, such as a situation, condition, or problem, exists

horn(s) – n. one of the hard pointed¹⁷ parts that grows on the head of some animals, such as cattle, goats, or sheep

fingernail(s) – n. the hard covering at the end of your fingers

toxic – adj. containing poisonous substances

1 scaly   

adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的

参考例句：

• Reptiles possess a scaly,dry skin.爬行类具有覆盖着鳞片的干燥皮肤。
• The iron pipe is scaly with rust.铁管子因为生锈一片片剥落了。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

9 rhinoceros   

n.犀牛

参考例句：

• The rhinoceros has one horn on its nose.犀牛鼻子上有一个角。
• The body of the rhinoceros likes a cattle and the head likes a triangle.犀牛的形体像牛，头呈三角形。

10 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

11 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

12 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

13 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

14 rhinoceroses   

n.钱，钞票( rhino的名词复数 )；犀牛(=rhinoceros)；犀牛( rhinoceros的名词复数 )；脸皮和犀牛皮一样厚

参考例句：

• Rhinoceroses and dragons for once will let us walk in peace. 犀牛与龙安歇，让我们能平静地行走。 来自互联网
• Although the rhinoceroses are very heavy, they can run very fast. 犀牛虽然体型笨重，但仍能以相当快的速度行走或奔跑。 来自互联网

15 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

16 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

17 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。