By Grace Ademulegun
Pangolin scales are frequently employed in traditional medicine practices throughout Asia and Africa because they are believed to have therapeutic qualities.
In addition to its use in Traditional Medicine (TM), pangolins are considered natural pest controllers since they help manage termite populations, relieving endemic areas of the expensive cost of termite control.
Pangolins are in danger of going totally extinct because of the sharp rise in demand for their rare scales due to the notion that they can cure kleptomania, mammary gland obstructions, and other conditions.
Reliance on specific pharmaceutical substances, especially those derived from wildlife, can have detrimental effects on a patient’s health, including the potential for viral infections and other harmful reactions. There is no change in the ongoing exploitation of these natural resources.
In China, pangolins are almost completely gone due to the unsubstantiated medical theory that a broth made from their scales has therapeutic benefits, including aiding breastfeeding women.In the last few decades, the slaughter and smuggling circle has gradually expanded to nearby countries, then to South-east Asia, finally to Africa.
In 2021, the Wildlife Justice Commission and the Nigerian Customs Service worked together to confiscate several tonnes of pangolin scales that had been unlawfully moved across borders or kept in warehouses.
Related Posts
Although it hasn’t ended the illicit trade in pangolin items, it has helped in a way putting those involved in hiding because you don’t see them on display in wildlife markets, but they are supplied when requested.
Because of the persistent work of conservation-minded practitioners, traditional medicine is starting to revert to its original goal of establishing a harmonic balance between the natural world and the human body.
However, there is still a need for a platform where practitioners can interact, exchange information, and unite their voices regarding the urgency of ending the use of wildlife products in traditional medicine, as well as for increased industry education regarding the growing threats to endangered species and the feasibility of herbal-based alternatives.
In contemporary medicine, there is no scientific proof that pangolin scales offer any particular medical or therapeutic advantages. Numerous synthetic items and botanicals can be utilised in substitute of wild animal products in medicine, according to studies.
Since there are other alternatives to using pangolins, the purported advantages of these goods are really not worth the loss of their existence.
Being a solitary species, the pangolin spends a large portion of its existence by itself. Females often give birth to just one offspring annually, indicating their low birth rates.
When we work together, we can cherish and prioritise the protection of one of the most endangered animals on Earth while advancing a sustainable practice that reflects traditional medicine’s long standing ideals.
We must change our mindset if we want to prevent this species from going extinct. We are the only ones with the ability to solve this issue, which we humans created.
