Walking across the leafy forest floor is a creature most people don’t even know the name of. It looks a bit like an anteater, but it is much smaller with brown scales covering the whole of its body. This is the most trafficked mammal in the world. This is the pangolin. 

There are eight species of pangolin alive today, with four of the eight living in Africa and the rest residing in Asia. The Sunda, Philippine, and Chinese pangolins are all listed as critically endangered. The Indian, White-bellied, and Giant are endangered. The Black-Bellied and Temmick’s pangolins are vulnerable. And yet, if you were to go up to a stranger in the street and ask, “What is a pangolin?” you would most likely be met with blank stares and embarrassed stuttering. 

Pangolins are made up of an amalgamation of different talents and skills. While a few types of pangolin spend their entire lives walking between the tall grass on the ground, many different species spend part of their time up above in the trees. All species are able to swim at least a little bit, and a few live in burrows underneath the earth. Pangolins use their sharp sense of smell to find their food and can live as long as twenty years.

Pangolins are mainly nocturnal animals, and the only mammal to be scaled. They are shy and elusive, like to hide behind foliage, and run away from humans. When cornered, instead of fighting, their defense mechanism is to curl up into a ball and let their hard scales protect them from the outside world. Most of the Pangolins’ diet consists of ants, termites, and other insects—similar to anteaters, whom, surprisingly, they are not related to. 

Wildlife Vet, Dra. Mércia Ângela works at the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique with pangolins, and adores the creatures. She said, “When you see a pangolin, you feel in love; you can find some peace when you see a pangolin.” They are not prone to aggressive behavior, and like to take walks on their hind legs, giving the pangolins the appearance of a hunched elderly citizen. But these lovable animals are facing extinction.

The main threat that pangolins face is poaching. Pangolins are hunted mainly for their scales, which are used for luxury products and traditional medicinal remedies in Africa and Asia. This is despite the fact that pangolin scales are made from keratin, the same material human fingernails consist of, and have not been proven to have any medical benefits. Pangolin meat is also considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia, due to its perceived “rarity” and unfamiliarity.  

Even if a pangolin is not outright murdered by poachers, being held in captivity can take a very large toll. Dra. Ângela explains that pangolins are often put into “very bad condition[s], they can get injured, they can get sick, or maybe hungry because some people don’t know what to give a pangolin for feeding.” Any number of unfortunate events may occur when a pangolin is kidnapped and forcibly held, even if the malice might not be purposefully inflicted.

Although it is illegal to hunt these animals, that does not deter the more vicious of poachers. It is estimated that up to 2.7 million pangolins are hunted and killed annually. Soon enough, these creatures might cease to exist altogether. 

One of the biggest ways anybody can help pangolins is just by telling other people about these animals. A large reason why people consume pangolin products or otherwise harm the animals is because of the obscurity of the creatures. Dra. Ângela believes it is crucial that people are aware of the work being done with pangolins. At Gorongosa National Park, the staff has established education programs to help teach the public. Dra. Ângela reports that, “They work closely with the community. Explaining to them what we are doing and why we are doing it. So they can join us. And we can be aligned.” By working together, we can all collectively agree on what needs to be done to help the animals that need to be saved.

Another way to help pangolins is by donating to organizations that support the conservation of these animals. While it may not be the most reasonable option for everybody due to the financial aspect, it can be very beneficial towards guaranteeing that individuals can keep advocating for pangolins. Research organizations are often underfunded, and GPS trackers, as well as food and medicine for injured pangolins, cost money that they simply might not have. Even donations as small as five dollars can consolidate to a much larger sum that can help pay for expensive research equipment and gear. 

You can also help pangolins by making an active effort not to use any pangolin products. Pangolin parts are used all around the world in leather, food, and even wine, and by keeping an eye out for any goods made from pangolins, you can help save lives. Furthermore, if you see pangolin products, contact the police or other local authorities. By reporting on illegal establishments that use their products, you can help put a permanent end to this horrific cycle of death and animal cruelty.

Pangolins need our help now. The number of Sunda pangolins, a species native to Asia, is believed to have gone down by 80% over the past twenty-one years. Other species are facing similar threats. Many people might not care about these animals, or even the resulting environmental devastation on a greater scale, but if you can not bring yourself to be a part of the solution, at the very least, you do not have to be part of the problem. It is time to step up and help out these animals. It may not seem like a big deal if this one species of animal dies out, especially if you were not even aware of their existence before this article, but pangolins contribute to a much larger ecosystem of animals. 

Due to their diet, pangolins play an integral role in keeping insect populations in check. If the pangolins die out, these pests will grow rampant. Ant populations will increase, and termite wood infestations will go up through the roof. This is not to say all of these creatures should die, as they contribute to ecosystems too. However, by removing one species from the equation, a chain reaction will be produced that will eventually impact people. According to Dra. Ângela, the removal of pangolins would be disastrous “for the people living around Gorongosa, because eventually, the pangolins help the people around Gorongosa to have a sustainable life.”

For too long people have been far too ignorant about animal trafficking and habitat loss, and it is already starting to influence the world that we live in. Ecosystems all around the world are out of balance and have caused natural disasters. Many human lives, and animal lives, have already been taken because of this imbalance, and many more will be stolen in the future. This all may seem like an exaggeration, but in reality, it is not.

However, there is still hope! Many people and organizations all around the world are pitching in to help save the pangolins. In the words of Dra. Ângela, “It’s many people involved in this. That makes me feel that, yes, it’s possible in the future to see pangolins surviving and increasing their numbers.”

Maybe you clicked on this article because you are fascinated by pangolins. Maybe you saw the title and wanted to know what these animals are. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that instead of going off this article and swiping away to the next gaudy headline that catches your attention, you put down your phone. Go and tell at least one person you know about pangolins. Show them a cute picture. Then go and tell someone else. Before it is too late.

“When you see a pangolin, you feel in love, you can find some peace when you see a pangolin,” said Dra. Mércia Ângela.