Animal Talk

conservation

WILDTHINGS

40cm

tongue length

6 million

number of ants eaten per year

5km/h

running speed

Lions, leopards and hyenas are the pangolin’s natural predators,

but their biggest threat is humans. Both their scales and meat are in

demand in African and Asian markets. In Asia, the pangolin’s organs

are seen as a delicacy and it is believed that their scales contain

medicinal value. In Africa, the pangolin is used for muti and bush meat.

According to one of South Africa’s indigenous cultures, seeing a

Natural predators and threats

Breeding
The mother raises her single baby in a burrow. The baby’s
scales are soft at birth and harden from the second day.
The baby will suckle for about three to four months, but
will start eating termites from about one month. The
mother moves her baby after the first month by ‘carrying’
him on her tail.

The pangolin is an ant and termite eater. He sticks his

narrow head into ant hills and uses his long tongue to

penetrate the tunnels. The ants and termites stick to the

thick saliva on his tongue, which he then gathers in his

mouth. He doesn’t have teeth to chew and the sand that

gets into his mouth helps to grind his food.

Diet

pangolin is a sign of drought and killing the animal will stop the drought.

Another threat for this species is electric fences. Although pangolins

use their sharp claws to dig holes under them, they sometimes get

entangled in the fence and electrocute themselves.

Habitat loss and being killed on the road are other reasons why

pangolin numbers are decreasing.

He rolls into a

ball to protect

himself.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pangolins are the most

trafficked animal in

the world.