The Pangolin Crisis

by Isobel Firth



What is a Pangolin ?



Pangolins are
mammals of the order Pholidota.There are four species found in Asia, and four species are found in Africa.These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm. Pangolins have keratin(what your hair and nails are made of) scales covering their skin.Pangolins sleep in the day and come out at night, and their diet consists of mainly of termites and ants , as well as other small insects which they capture using their really long tongues,that are 40cm in length. They are solitary animals only meeting to mate and raise children.


Why We Need To Save them


Pangolins, for a long time, have been threatened by poachers as they are believed to have medicinal purposes in China.It is very sad that they are the most trafficked mammals in the world. As of the start of 2020, there are eight species of pangolin whose conservation status is listed in the threatened tier.  There are three critically endangered, three endangered and two that are vulnerable.

How to Help

To help a pangolin you can adopt them with WWF or another wildlife trust.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin


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