Rungroj Yongrit/EPA

STANDARDS

CCSS: 6.RP.A.3.C, MP1, MP2

TEKS: 6.5B, 6.5C, 7.4D

Pangolins in Peril

These scaly anteaters could soon be the most endangered species on the planet

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®

Countries with high pangolin smuggling activity

You’ve probably never heard of a pangolin. Not many people have. But these scaly anteaters are the most trafficked animal on Earth. Conservation groups estimate that more than 1 million pangolins have been illegally sold on the black market over the past 15 years.

Pangolins are killed for use in traditional medicine or served as a delicacy in Asian countries like China and Vietnam. “How they are transported is very cruel,” says Phap Nguyen Cong, a communications officer at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW). “They are tied up in bags or nets, and moved around in the trunk of a car or the back of a motorbike.”

Eight species of pangolins live in Asia and Africa. These solitary, nocturnal animals keep to themselves and spend their days sleeping in underground burrows. A single pangolin can eat as many as 200,000 ants and other insects a day. When threatened, a pangolin curls up into a tight, scaly ball. This helps it survive attacks from most predators in the wild.

But humans are now the animals’ greatest threat. A poacher can simply pick up the cat-sized creatures. The two species of pangolins that live in China are critically endangered. Now African pangolins are also at risk.

Suzi Eszterhas/Minden Pictures

In Vietnam, a conservationist examines a baby pangolin.

Vietnam is a key stop on the pangolin trafficking route. Members of SVW protect pangolins on several fronts. They advise local law enforcement, who often aren’t aware of the extent of the pangolin problem, and rehabilitate animals the authorities seize from smugglers.

Not much is known about pangolins’ habits, however. Although most of SVW’s pangolins are released into the wild, pangolin researchers need to learn more so they can be confident that the pangolins will survive. That’s why SVW scientists are now tracking some of the released animals. They hope this data will help save pangolins from extinction.

“From the few pangolins that we have tracked, we have learned valuable information,” says Nguyen Cong, “but we need to do much more work in this area.” 

When officials catch a pangolin smuggler, the weigh the pangolins, scales, or meat seized and document it. The chart below shows the estimated weight of pangolin seizures. Use it to answer the questions. Round numbers and percents to the nearest whole number.

In 2013, what percentage of documented pangolin seizures were made in Thailand?

Which year in the chart had the most documented pangolin seizures? What percent of the total is that?

For all six years, what percentage of pangolin seizures were made in Vietnam? 

In 2012, how much greater was the percent of pangolins seized in China than the percent seized in Vietnam? 

What percent of the pangolin seizures in Malaysia occurred in 2010? 

The average pangolin weighs about 5 kg. About how many total pangolins were smuggled in 2015? In 2012, how much greater was the percent of pangolins seized in China than the percent seized in Vietnam? 

videos (1)
Skills Sheets (3)
Skills Sheets (3)
Skills Sheets (3)
Lesson Plan (2)
Lesson Plan (2)
Text-to-Speech