Pangolin Patrol: Volunteer Team Rescues Endangered Animals

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The traumatized pangolins arrive at a Johannesburg wildlife clinic emaciated and badly injured. They are the lucky ones. Rescued from poachers, they will survive thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers who tend their wounds, feed them and coax them back to health.

Pangolins are unique creatures; the world’s only mammals with scales. They’re sometimes called scaly anteaters, although they’re not related. Like armadillos, they can roll up into an armored ball. Amazingly, their tongues can be longer than their bodies.

Pangolins aren’t well known and yet they are among the most poached and illegally trafficked animals in the world.

While species like the rhinoceros and elephant often headline anti-poaching efforts in Africa, experts warn these little critters, about the size of a domestic cat, are targeted more and nearing extinction because of high demand for their scales in traditional medicines in Asia.

The African Pangolin Working Group in South Africa — a team of veterinarians and wildlife experts — have been rehabilitating pangolins rescued from poachers for nearly a decade.

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