South Africa is grappling with how to protect the endangered pangolin from poachers.

Pangolins, often called scaly anteaters, are insect-eating mammals covered in tough, overlapping scales. They are killed and trafficked in great numbers because their scales are used in traditional Asian medicine, their meat is considered a luxury food in many parts of Asia, and their skins and other parts are used for various purposes such as fashion. 

According to the Save Pangolin Organization, in just 10 years, more than a million of these animals have been snatched from their fast-shrinking Asian and African habitats for trade, which makes them the most trafficked mammals in the world. 

"The poaching of pangolins purely for their scale is an enormous, enormous venture, which is obviously run by syndicates. It's happening across Africa in all the forests, in all the towns," said Nicci Wright, a rehabilitation specialist from the African Pangolin Working Group. 

Wright's group is one of the many that have been taking action to avoid the tragedy of further loss. It was established in 2011, following an inaugural meeting by a diverse group of people who all have one passion in common: understanding and protecting pangolins in Africa. 

Rapid loss and deterioration of available habitats also add pressure on the dwindling numbers of remaining pangolins. 

In South Africa, the problem of pangolin poaching has many concerned. 

"It's increasing exponentially in Africa and in Southern Africa and South Africa in particular in recent years. The Asian demand is huge, the local demand from them is huge, they pay a large amount of money, and if you're poor, and you don't have a job, you go to crime," said Ray Jansen, an ecologist from the Tshwane University of Technology. 

Wright said they are doing everything they can to tackle this situation. 

"We work very closely with the law enforcement, with the judiciary, magistrates, prosecutors, that kind of thing. It is going on. It's as concerning as the rest of Africa, which is a whole scale industrial type of operation, poaching operation, and our pangolins are leaving our continent by the ton load," said Wright. 

"Johannesburg is a hot spot, and approach the public to sell these animals for huge amounts of money. And then, we normally get involved with the South African police service, the department of environmental affairs, in particular, environmental management inspectorates, and we arrest these people," said Jansen. 

Animal rights activists say one of the ways to combat pangolin poaching is by educating local communities to take ownership and act as custodians of these animals, and to ensure that law enforcers hand out a harsh punishment. 

Jansen believes that young people may be the answer to the endless animal bloodshed. 

"We have to embrace the youth. That's where we've got to put our energy. In every country, in every province, right through Africa, as well as the demand countries, in particular areas like Asia, such as Malaysia, Vietnam and China, we need to educate the youth and get their buy in," he said.

(Cover image via VCG)

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