To come across a pangolin-a roller in the bush is always really unique.

Pangolins are sometimes referred to as ‘scaly anteaters’ because of their favourite diet – ants.

2. There are eight pangolin species.

The four species found in Africa are:

Pangolin with a black belly (Phataginus tetradactyla)
pangolin with a white belly (Phataginus tricuspis)
Massive ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea)
Pangolin of Temminck’s Ground (Smutsia temminckii)

The following four species are found in Asia:

Chinese pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)
Pacific pangolin (Manis culionensis)
Pandalin of Sunda (Manis javanica)
Asian pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)

All eight pangolin species are protected by local, state, and federal regulations, and two of them are placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered.

Pangolins are highly coveted by people in China and Vietnam for their meat and their unique scales.

More than a million pangolins have been unlawfully stolen from the wild over the past ten years and used to feed demad in China and Vietnam. Its scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a variety of diseases, including asthma, rheumatism, and arthritis, while their meat is regarded as a delicacy.

By adding the eight species to Appendix I of the Convention, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has attempted to put an end to all international commercial trade in pangolins. This decision will take effect at the beginning of this year.