What is Pangolin?
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Manis comprises the four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa.
How much does pangolin cost?
Pangolin sells for as much as $350 per kilo. “You find pangolins, and I’ll give you money.” That’s what Ruslan, 58, says he was told by a wildlife trader from out of town. Pangolins are traded by the ton, frozen and alive.
Can you find a pangolin in South Africa?
In South Africa the Pangolin ranges over most of the former eastern, northern and western Transvaal, northern KwaZulu-Natal, northeastern Cape, from where its distribution continues into neighbouring countries
Can you buy a pangolin?
Facebook users are buying and selling pangolin parts, even though it’s illegal. In spite of their protected status under international laws, pangolins remain one of the most trafficked animals in the world — and at least some of that trade is taking place right out in the open on Facebook
How rare is a pangolin?
All eight pangolin species are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
How are pangolins killed?
Their armor-plated scales can cut and inflict serious wounds on a lion, leopard, or hyena — but are no match for a weapon-wielding human. Poachers simply pick pangolins up and drop them into a bag. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world — poachers kill as many as 2.7 million African pangolins every year.