World Pangolin Day

Science knows 8 species of pangolin - an animal similar in appearance and lifestyle to the anteater and armadillo A distinctive feature of this mammal is the scales that cover the entire body Translated from Malay, pengguling means “rolls up into a ball,” because this is what the animal does in moments of danger, like hedgehogs The lizard, which resembles a herbivorous small dinosaur, is hunted by a large number of poachers, putting the entire population at risk World Pangolin Day is called upon to draw attention to the problem of the disappearance of a unique mammal World Pangolin Day, which lives in Africa and Southeast Asia, has been celebrated annually since 2012 every third Saturday in February The demand for pangolin meat and scales, arranged in 18 rows, is especially high in China In the Middle Kingdom, pangolin dishes are considered delicacies, and keratin plates are considered healing They are used to prepare drugs to improve lactation, activate blood circulation, treat heart disease, cancer and other pathologies Rice wine is made from baby lizards, which also amazes the world community and organizations that pay attention to the extinction of the mammal Pangolins are the most sought-after animals on the global black market, accounting for 20% of wildlife sales Every year, smugglers and poachers kill up to 2 million pangolins In order to combat the illegal trade in pangolins, in 2016 the CITES Convention, held in South Africa, banned them from being caught all over the world Animal meat is considered a delicacy not only in China, but also in African countries 2 out of 8 pangolin species are endangered World Pangolin Day draws attention to the participation of these mammals in the biogeocenosis of their habitat They are very important for the ecosystem because keep termite and ant populations under control, preventing their uncontrolled reproduction In the wild, pangolins are often the prey of predators However, they are saved by the ability to curl up into a ball and move in this form along rocks at a speed of 30 meters in 10 seconds In addition, in moments of danger, animals secrete a substance with an unpleasant aroma, reminiscent of the smell of skunk secretions Therefore, most often lizards become victims not of pythons and predatory mammals (tigers, leopards and lions), but of humans The Chinese non-governmental organization TRAFFIC organized the “Pangolin, Live!” movement in 2018 In order to curb the illegal trade, a group of volunteers collected information on 159 routes for animal smuggling to the black market Events held during World Pangolin Day draw attention to the lifestyle and reproduction of pangolins The female gives birth to only 1 cub per year, so there is no talk of a rapid restoration of the population even after measures are taken to protect the animal However, the organizers of conferences and lectures for World Pangolin Day are confident that they will be able to prevent its extinction and stop the destruction of a unique mammal