Can Coronavirus Save The African Pangolin?

Wildlife conservationists and enthusiasts around the world have been celebrating an apparent silver lining in the latest coronavirus epidemic since the Xinhua News Agency in China reported earlier this month that researchers had found a 99% genetic match between a virus found in pangolins and the new human coronavirus.

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The hope of this finding is that humans, frightened of coronavirus infection, would reduce their demand for pangolin meat and scales, whose populations are in rapid decline due to wildlife poaching and trafficking to satisfy bushmeat and traditional medicine markets predominantly in Asia.

It may, however, be premature to celebrate 'the revenge of the pangolin' since the link to coronavirus may turn out not to have the positive outcome for pangolins that we’ve all been hoping for. Several interesting and worrying scenarios could still unfold.

So far coronavirus has done wonders for putting the plight of the pangolins into the headlines and onto the global stage, which is something that is long overdue and critical to their survival. It is hard to rally support for saving a species when most people don’t even know what a pangolin is let alone their critical status.

The reported link between pangolins and the coronavirus has led to the Chinese government placing a temporary ban on all wildlife markets and trade, based on the fact that these markets are ideal for the cultivation and spread of zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted between different animal species, including to humans. This has led to the closure in China of 'wet markets', where live wild animals are sold, which is obviously good news for animal rights, even if this is unlikely to have been a primary consideration of the Chinese government.