PANGOLIN

When many people come on safari their goal is to see all of the Big Five; lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. While the Mara has these to offer in abundance, many other animals reside here that tourists and research assistants alike hope to see but may never catch a glimpse of. These include rare animals such as the aardwolf, aardvark, African wild dog, zorilla, and honey badger, among others. Sightings of these creatures are rare and often a once in a lifetime experience. Here in Talek camp we recently had destiny on our side and had the rare, once in a lifetime chance to not only see one of the rarest animals in the Mara, but one of the most trafficked animals in the world – the pangolin.

The sweet, rare, ground pangolin 

Pangolins are mammals that reside throughout African and Asia. They are the only mammals covered entirely in keratin scales, which forms a sort of protective covering over their body. While these scales protect them from animals in their habitats that may do them harm, they are also the leading cause of their endangerment. Pangolin scales are used in eastern traditional medicine, to create love charms, and in East Africa local people believe that if they burn them they will keep predators away (https://arkive.org/ground-pangolin/smutsia-temminckii/). Pangolin scales possess no supernatural healing or magical properties, they are composed of keratin; much like our own hair and fingernails. In addition to being poached for their scales, pangolins are also hunted for their meat and are a popular item in the bushmeat trade (https://arkive.org/ground-pangolin/smutsia-temminckii/). In many cultures pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and is in high demand as a result. Despite the fact that all 8 species of pangolin (we saw the ground pangolin) are protected by both national and international law, their population numbers are plummeting due to the wildlife trade. Reports from 2011-2013 estimate that between 116,900 and 233,980 pangolins were killed in the trade. Many experts believe that these numbers only represent about 10% of the reported number of pangolins in the wildlife trade (https://www.worldwildlifefund.org/stories/what-is-a-pangolin). Due to the solitary nature of the pangolin, it is difficult for experts to come to accurate conclusions about their population status. In addition, attempts to breed pangolins in captivity have proved unsuccessful, as the animals in captivity have developed handicaps such as ulcers, pneumonia, and premature death (https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2018/06/28/what-is-a-pangolin-and-why-are-they-poached-7666975/amp/).

Due their solitary nature and endangered status, seeing a pangolin is one of the most unique experiences one could hope for while in the Mara. Benson, the Kenyan RA who has been with the project for almost 10 years, has only seen a pangolin twice during his time with the project. The fact that we were able to see one of the most trafficked animals in the world alive, in its natural habitat, totally undisturbed by human presence was truly a blessing and a memory I think all of us will treasure forever.