6 February 2023
The most trafficked mammal in the world
The harmless pangolin (native to Africa and Asia) is an extremely peaceful animal and incredibly unique as it is the only living mammal to be covered with scales.
*Unknown photographer
Their scales are pulled out and dried and crushed to use in traditional medicine, mainly Chinese traditional medicine. It doesn't have more than one visible defensive strategy. Their only defence is to curl up into a ball and hope that armour shields them because a pangolin moves slowly and has no teeth so they can't even fight their way out of a threatening situation to escape.
That armour works well to frustrate most other animals – so much so, that they decide to leave the impenetrable pangolin and resort to find an easier prey... Sadly, this is no deterrent to mankind's cruel side. This sweet creature has no defence against abusive and invasive hands.
- Interesting to note, the mother rolls up with her baby tucked against her abdomen as the baby is born with scales but the young's scales are still too soft to use as armour, so they rely on their mother's armour.
- The poachers cruelly separate them when they brutally unfold the mother and it's a bonus if the pangopup peeks out as both mammals are highly beneficial to them – they also have a false use for her vulnerable pangopup.
- The babies are sought to make pangowine – used mainly for traditional Chinese medicine and sometimes also a source of exotic meat (adults too). The little body is boiled to make this ridiculously ineffective "wine".
- about a third of an adult's weight is made up from those scales.
- All the pangolins in Africa are endangered as now the international poachers, and similar, are stealing them as all the pangolins in Asia are already rare and critically endangered (once, there were many).
Some great news!
This enormous continent is home to many fantastic wild animals and the two we identify with the most, or most iconic, most popular. Well... 'most' of everything, is the lion and then the elephant. I have much to say about the prey animal – the elephant, but this post is about Africa's two top predators – The African lion and the largely ignored, Spotted hyena – Africa's two top predators. I am, however, focussing and highlighting that phenomenal intelligent fighter that is unfortunately greatly underestimated – the spotted hyena. They are and will always be Africa's greatest warrior. The first clear sign is that they are born into brutality and only the strongest will survive. Spotted hyena cubs are born with eyes open and already armed with teeth. The reason for that is that they have to fight for their survival from the moment they are born. The mother only has two teats and sometimes three cubs are born – not the usual amount, one or two. Competition for food is fierce and to survive the cubs have to fight from the moment they are born. Even if there are only two cubs born – the competition for food never fades and this they carry forth to adulthood – and in the end only one or more rarely, only two cubs will remain if there were three (an example).
It is considered that the female trapdoor spider builds the most protected hole/tunnel out there.
An owl is not the only animal with enormous eyes and can turn its neck, effortlessly, 180 degrees.
A baby Aardvark is called a cub or a calf. Although the name means 'earth pig' in Afrikaans – the baby is not called a piglet.
I honestly find them the most interesting, loveable and admired insect on the planet. There is always something about bees, besides intelligent, social behaviour, that moves them forward – not one, but more than one wrung up the ladder of fascination.
Some of us tend to believe that a platypus (a monotreme – mammals that lay eggs) its eyes remain open as it swims through water. Nope.
Due to mankind's involvement, they are no longer kings, except in the minds of a few. The mighty is now reduced to 'vulnerable to extinction' and found in threatened and small, scattered populations over the continent as most of their original hunting grounds have been turned into agricultural lands (one reason, but a big one). The highest, but greatly threatened, wild lion populations are found in southern Africa.
Awful and shocking photo, I know, but please read further:
Here's yet another example: The humble green imperial pigeon.
