By Our Correspondent
Pangolin is the scaly anteater long tailed, scale covered mammals of the order Pholidota of tropical Africa and Asia.
Pangolins, particularly the giant pangolin, are becoming increasingly scarce and reclassified as endangered in both Africa and Asia.
Pangolins are heavily targeted by illegal hunters for their meat nd scales, which are sought after in traditional medicine, especially in Asia. This has led to dramatic decline in their populations.
Despite its vast distribution, stretching from West Africa to the Eastern part of the continent, the giant pangolin is considered ”endangered” on the IUCN Red list, with populations declining sharply across its habitat.
The historical factors contributing to the giant pangolin’s population decline in Africa are challenging to pinpoint precisely. No studies have been conducted o the immediate and remote causes for the decline in their population.
Research however shows that it’s likely that poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation are factors that causes the decline of pangolin.
In the meantime, after more than two decades, a giant pangolin was suprisingly rediscovered by a Senegal Park team at the Niokolo-Koba Nationl Park in Senegal. It was one of the national parks in West Africa sub-region. It covers over 9,130km of diverse ecosystem.
From these wooded savannahs to Guinea forests, these environment provide essential habitats for the last remaining populations of leopards, lions and wild dogs. The park’s management team, supported by Panthera, oversees the conservation efforts, with particular focus on monitoring these key species.
Meanwhile, the park team, led by Mouhamadou Ndiaye, were on foot criss-crossing the national park, with the mission of surveying the populations of large carnivores and herbivores. The work continued unabated for months.
It was a challenging task for the team. They set up over 200 camera traps to tackle the work. These devices operates round the clock in all weataher conditions to capture wildlife activity. They are of opinion that real treasures sometimes lie hidden in the heart of this park. Every time an animal passes by, the camera clicks and automatically saves the image.
Several months into their research, the field team made a remarkable discovery in the heart of the park. Researchers are usually very enthusiastic when it come to collect the cameras. They’re always eager to discover what species and behaviours have been photographed.
Pricisely, on 28 December, 2023, Ndiaye inserted a memory card from one of the hidden cameras into his computer. Apparently, he expected to see imges of animals such as warthdog, leopard or lion. Instead, he was surprised to find a large animal with scales, a long tail, aand a thin snout. ”It’s a giant pangolin,” Ndiaye exclaimed.
The team saw a giant pangolin, a specie believed to be entirely extinct since 1967. The thrilling find sparked great excitement and revived hopes for the specie’s survival in West Africa.
Checks revealed that there are eight pangolin species worldwide, four in Africa, four in Asia. Giant pangolin found at the Niokolo-Koba Nationl Park in Senegal are much larger than other species.
They are about 12 to 20 times heavierthn West frica tree pangolin. The ID was verified by the rest of the team and by members of the IUCN pangolin specialist group.
The giant pangolin is the only species historically found in Senegal. It weighs up to 30kg and measuring between 1.40 metres and 1.80 metres in length. It resembles a prehistoric creatire with its body covered in keratinous scales.
Despite its size, the giant pangolin is an insectivores, feeding exclusively on termites and ants with its long, sticky tongue. Pangolin is nocturnal and shy, making it a rare sight.
The rediscovery of giant pangolin in Senegal inspire hopes that there could be mre of such giant specie in other countries in the across countries in Africa, particularly in the West and East Africa. The rediscovery shows that pangolin could benefit conservation efforts, scientific research, the economy, society and conservation policies.
From scientific and ecological point of view, this rediscovery of giant pangolin in Senegal enhances our understanding of park’s biodiversity. It presents new opportunities for research into species’ ecology, behaviour and genetics, while also invigorating conservation initiatives.
