2018-02-17 Sat

Every year we have various days dedicated to celebrating the vast varieties of animals and their species. Few are celebrated because of their unique features while some days are dedicated to creating awareness about the extinct species. Every year 17th February is celebrated as World Pangolin Day!

The word Pangolin is derived from Malay word, ‘pengguling’ which means ‘one who rolls up’. This ant eating animal is seen in media and cartoon quite often. They won the hearts of kids when Pangolin was portrayed in Pokemon (A Japanese anime television series) as Sandslash.

Well…It just freshens up our old young days.

So let us see few of the amazing facts about Pangolin:
Pangolins consume around 140 to 200 grams of insects per day (ants and termites being their favourite). They are the only mammal to be covered in scales. To protect themselves, they curl into balls like hedgehogs.

But this creature is rapidly declining in Asia and Africa due to poaching and illegal hunting. It is one of the most highly trafficked animals in the world. It is estimated that 1,00,000 pangolins are captured every year from across Africa and Asia and shipped to China and Vietnam. Their meat and scales have become delicacies in various countries. The scales of Pangolin can sell on the black market for over $3,000 a kilogram and also have been used in making coats.

To create awareness about the Pangolins, we are celebrating 17th February as World Pangolins Day. All the eight species of pangolin are now featured on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Also, many countries have featured them on their stamps and coins, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Zambia, Philippines, Tanzania, Kenya, Indonesia, Senegal, etc. to name a few.

Zimbabwe issued a coin of $ 2 depicting a Pangolin on the reverse. It is also seen on the coins of Malawi. So let us celebrate this scaly animal’s day and take an ought to conserve this animal.

Image Courtesy: Pinterest