TIPPING THE SCALES OF CONSERVATION

COVERED IN OVERLAPPING keratin scales, the African pangolin looks more like a walking pinecone than a mammal.

- WORDS SUFFIAN HAKIM

Yet, not many can tell how essential the African pangolin is to its ecosystem simply by looking at it.

African pangolins are often described as the “guardians of the forest” and “nature's gardeners” because they perform several critical services that maintain the health of African savannas and tropical forests through several interconnected roles. The presence of the African pangolin serves as a primary indicator of environmental health. Their powerful digging habits aerate the soil and facilitate nutrient cycling, which improves plant growth and water absorption. They act as a natural pest control system, protecting vegetation and timber from insect overpopulation by consuming up to 70 million ants and termites annually. Furthermore, the extensive burrows they leave behind provide critical habitat and thermal shelter for dozens of other species, ranging from mongooses to reptiles, fostering higher levels of biodiversity.

Their extinction would trigger a damaging ripple effect across the entire landscape. Nevertheless, two species of African pangolins are endangered and the other two are vulnerable at this moment, as hunting and deforestation have seen their numbers dwindle at an alarming rate.

The pangolin’s very identity has been shaped by vulnerability. Its name alone suggests an animal that has been defined by its need to defend itself.

Pangolin is derived from the Malay word ‘pengguling’, which means ‘one who rolls up’, referencing the way the pangolin rolls itself into a scaly ball for protection.