What do you get when you cross an artichoke with an armadillo? A pangolin, the world’s most trafficked mammal you’ve probably never heard of. Paul Thomson is the cofounder of Save Pangolins, an organization that has been bringing attention to these elusive scaled mammals with the hopes that to know them is to love them and, therefore, protect them.
Paul is up against long standing cultural beliefs, very well-funded illegal syndicates, and the simple fact that this animal is not a household name. Found in Africa and Asia, these animals are still found on menus and their keratin body scales (the same material your nails are made of) are used in traditional medicine.
According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, although most illegally sourced pangolins are destined for markets in China and Vietnam, the United States also drives demand. At least 26,000 imports of pangolin products were seized in the United States between 2004 and 2013.
What can you do to save pangolins?
• Don’t buy pangolin products.
• Report the sale of said products to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the World Wildlife Fund, or contact someone from savepangolins.org for help.
• Promote awareness of them through social media and word of mouth. People are more likely to take action to protect them if they grow to love them.
• Donate to the Pangolin Crisis Fund
• Follow Save Pangolins on Social Media:
Since the taping of this episode, COVID19 has come on the scene, causing worldwide disruptions and disturbances. It is speculated that pangolins could have been the intermediary host of this virus which was first detected in a wildlife market in China. Save Pangolins has a great article here about it.
It’s important to keep in mind that these animals are not a threat to humans when kept undisturbed in the wild. It is in their capture, transport, and “care” in unsanitary conditions that the threat becomes real.
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Every little bit helps. What action for the world are you going to take today?
Background music by Fearless Motivation Instrumentals: Meaning of Life
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