Protecting The Pangolin

Why the Only Scaly Mammal in the World Is Almost Extinct

- Stef Dela Cruz

When a marine biology student in Palawan saw what looked like an armadillo being mauled by stray dogs, she immediately came to its rescue—not that the scaly animal needed help.

Estrelieta Longakit, who was in the news this summer after having rescued the odd-looking animal, eventually handed it over to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. They realized that the creature she had rescued was the Palawan scaly anteater, also known as the Philippine pangolin.

Capable of protecting itself from other animals because of the tough, pointed scales that cover its body, the pangolin can easily survive an attack by dogs on the prowl for prey.

However, no amount of curling up into a tight, bite-proof ball can save the pangolin from one particularly cruel species: man.

SCALY ARMOR

The pangolin’s claim to fame lies in its scales: it is the only mammal in the world covered in them.

Unfortunately, it is these very scales that have helped put this fascinating animal on the endangered species list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.