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Protect Our Pangolins for Countries to Show Leadership in Improving Law

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Protect Our Pangolins for Countries to Show Leadership in Improving Law Call for Action Table 1: Details of selected seizures originating from Central Africa (reporting country in bold) • The Cameroon Government supported uplisting all pangolins to Appendix I of CITES. This uplisting Date Quantity TRADE ROUTE went into effect on January 2, 2017, prohibiting all seized commercial international trade of pangolins. Together Let’s Export Destination • The CITES uplisting provides an opportunity Jan. 2017 5,400 kg Cameroon 1 -> China Protect Our Pangolins for countries to show leadership in improving law enforcment and demand reduction efforts to better 2 protect pangolins. Dec. 2016 3,000 kg Democratic -> Thailand Republic of (final • We encourage MINFOF to make the Ministerial the Congo destination Laos) Order No. 0648/MINFOF of 18 of December 2006 widely accessible and understood by all actors Dec. 2016 670 kg Cameroon 3 -> Malaysia involved, and to update the Class A listing to reflect all three pangolin species and other species as necessary. Dec. 2016 3,000 kg Africa -> China 4 • Recent large seizures of pangolin scales carried out by MINFOF emphasize the urgency of strengthening June 23, 4,000 kg Cameroon -> Hong Kong 5 enforcement and stopping those who poach, traffic, 2016 sell, or consume pangolins at local, national, regional, 6 Jan. 26, 200 kg Cameroon -> Indonesia and international levels. We applaud MINFOF’s 2015 efforts to strengthen enforcement for pangolins. 7 June 11, 2,340 kg Cameroon -> Hong Kong Photo: Frank Kohn / USFWS • Government action alone cannot solve this crisis. 2014 The involvement of local communities, NGOs, and 8 Pangolins are believed to be the most heavily June, 1,360 kg Cameroon - Not reported trafficked mammals in the world. Four of the world’s the private sector is indispensible. Support from the 2014 extractive industries, especially mining and logging eight species of pangolin live across Central Africa. 9 companies whose activities impact pangolins and their Apr. 14, 120 kg Cameroon - Not reported Very little is known about them, and the illegal trade habitats, is crucial. 2014 for their meat and scales is driving them closer and closer towards extinction. Unless we act now, we Apr. 30, 50 kg Cameroon France Viet Nam • Cameroon is taking important steps to protect our 2013 10 risk losing our pangolins. pangolins. Together with other Central African Apr. 29, 80 kg Cameroon Nigeria China Recognizing the threat of international trade, the Range States, Cameroon can play a vital role in 11 collaborating with Asian Range States to develop joint 2013 Cameroonian Government recently supported the uplisting of pangolins to Appendix I of the strategies to fight pangolin trafficking and reduce Mar. 26, 180 kg Cameroon - Not reported demand for pangolin scales and meat. 2013 12 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Est. 20,400 kg total According to Article 6 of the Ministerial Order seized No. 0648/MINFOF of 18 of December 2006, which scales classifies wildlife in Cameroon into three categories 1 Source: Camer.be via allafrica.com (A, B, C) based on the level of threats, all species in 2 Source: dailymail.co.uk CITES Appendix I are automatically listed in Class Together Let’s Protect Our Pangolins! 3 Source: Breaking News Live via allafrica.com A, which means that they are fully protected. 4 Source: shanghaidaily.com Facebook: PangolinSaver - Twitter: @PangolinSaver 5, 7 Source: Hong Kong Government Recent large confiscations of pangolin scales by 6 Source: CITES the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) with thanks for additional support from: 8, 9, 11, 12 Source: LAGA emphasize the urgency in enforcing this law to 10 Source: scientificamerican.com ensure the survival of our pangolins. Together Let’s Protect Our Pangolins! Learn more and help protect our pangolins! Pangolin Characteristics and Ecological Temminck’s ground pangolin/Ground pangolin (Smutsia Threats to Pangolins Importance temminckii) Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals in Pangolins are the only mammals in the world with The Temminck’s ground the world. Until recently, experts estimated that one scales. These scales are made of keratin, the same pangolin is the most million pangolins had been poached from the wild over substance as human finger nails and rhinoceros horn. widespread African pangolin the past decade. A new study estimates that up to 0.4-2.7 species, and the only pangolin million pangolins are hunted annually in Central Africa In response to threats, pangolins curl into a ball, species found in southern alone (Ingram et al., 2017). All eight species - four in shielding their body with their tough armor of scales. Africa. Aside from being Africa and four in Asia - are threatened with extinction. This behavior protects them from predators such as big larger than the two pangolin In Central Africa, the main cats. Unfortunatley, it also makes it easier for humans to Photo: Darren Pietersen / African species decribed below, collect them. Pangolin Working Group the ground pangolin is also threats to pangolins are poaching distinguished by its fossorial and trafficking to meet demand Central Africa’s four pangolin species are primarily as opposed to arborial lifestyle and regular scale from China and Southeast Asia nocturnal, solitary, and shy mammals. They give birth pattern. Unlike the larger giant ground pangolin, this (see Table 1 for recent seizures to only one offspring per year and are highly vulnerable species is found in dry and arid environments. originating from Central Africa). to overexploitation. This illegal and unsustainable White-bellied pangolin/Tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis) trade involves live animals; Pangolins live predominantly on a diet of ants and The white-bellied pangolin pangolin meat, which is considered termites. This specialized diet makes it extremely is the most frequently a luxury dish in Asia; and difficult to maintain them in a captive setting. Longevity encountered pangolin in pangolin scales, which are used in in the wild is uncertain. Pangolins play a critical role Africa. Compared to the traditional Asian medicines. in their ecosystems. They provide the earth with all- ground pangolins, the white- natural pest control and are fantastic tenders of soil, Photo, above: Confiscation of illegal ivory and pangolin scales. Credit: LAGA / bellied and black-bellied and they do these things simply through their everyday EAGLE Network Photo, below: Urban demand for bushmeat is exacerbating the pangolins are much smaller decline of pangolins in Central Africa. Credit: Nancy Gelman / USFWS behaviors. It is said that a single pangolin consumes as Photo: Tim Wacher / ZSL in size, have very small first many as 70 million insects per year, mainly ants and forelimb claws, an irregular At the same time, Central termites. arrangement of scales, tail pads used for climbing, and African pangolin species a long and prehensile tail. They have hair on the lower are under pressure from sections of their forelimbs, as opposed to scales. The local and regional demand ---------------------------------------------------------------- white-bellied pangolin inhabits lowland tropical moist for bushmeat. In Cameroon forest and forest-savanna mosaics. and other Central African Central Africa is home to the following four species of countries, urban demand pangolin: Black-bellied pangolin/Long-tailed pangolin (Manis is exacerbating the illegal tetradactyla) bushmeat trade, including in Giant pangolin/Giant ground pangolin (Manis gigantea) The black-bellied pangolin pangolins. is the smallest and most The giant pangolin is the Legal Status of Pangolins Internationally and in Cameroon largest living pangolin arboreal of all African species, weighing up to 35 pangolins. Its tail is much All eight species of pangolin are listed on Appendix I kg. Apart from its size, it is longer than that of the of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in easily distinguished from white-bellied pangolin, Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). This the much smaller tree- reaching up to twice the bans their commercial trade and represents the highest dwelling African pangolins length of its body. Certain level of protection available under international law. Photo: Rod Cassidy / Sangha Lodge Photo: Ekwoge Agbe / Zoological by a regular scale pattern, characteristics separate the According to Article 6 of the Ministerial Order No. Society of San Diego & Drexel fossorial lifestyle, and the arboreal pangolins from the University 0648/MINFOF of 18 of December 2006, which classifies lack of pads at the end of the ground pangolins, including smaller size, very small first wildlife in Cameroon into three categories (A, B, C) tail, which aid climbing in forelimb claws, irregular arrangement of scales, the based on the level of threats, all species in CITES the arboreal species. The giant pangolin inhabits moist presence of tail pads used for climbing, and the length of Appendix I are automatically listed in Class A, which tropical lowland forests and forested swamps, but also the tail, which is prehensile. The black-bellied pangolin means that Cameroon’s pangolin species are now also occurs in mosaic habitats comprising forest and savanna. chiefly occupies moist tropical forest around rivers and fully protected by Cameroonian law. These laws are swamps. being actively enforced..
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