Pangolins: 13 facts about the world's most hunted animal

[knocker]

 

With its armoured shell and peculiar gait, the humble pangolin looks more like an anteater prepped for medieval battle than an animal under threat. Illegal trade in South Asia, however, has now rendered the scaly mammals the most trafficked animal on earth, with some estimates claiming that sales now account for up to 20 per cent of the entire wildlife black market.

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11374800/Pangolins-13-facts-about-the-worlds-most-hunted-animal.html

[sundog]

Why am i not surprised to see the word extinction and south asia mentioned in the same article. How many animals have to be on the verge of extinction due to these stupid b**tards.. Tigers elephants etc

[knocker]

I quite agree but doing something about is another matter.

[Interitus]

Ideally in the long term, education would change peoples values, but while there are people who want these animal products there is always going to be a demand, and there is an obvious and potentially lucrative solution - domestication.

 

Mention of elephants for the ivory trade (hence rhinos also) is an interesting case at the moment, with trade moratorium and the official line being the public display of destruction of ivory products and stockpiles. All seemingly commendable, except it doesn't save a single animal, they are already dead, and bang - the value of ivory increases and so does the poaching. Has prohibition ever been successful?