Latest Pangolin Sightings in Singapore
The Sundra Pangolins were seen in Singapore.
Marcus Goh shared his captured photo of Pangolin to the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Group in Facebook last September 5.
In Marcus' post, he said "Heard rustling in the bushes, thought it was a wild boar. Turns out it’s this messy eater."
The Pangolin was captured with soils on his hands, and could be eating termites or ants for late night dinner.
What are Sundra Pangolins?
Sunda Pangolins (Manis javanica) are also known as the Malay or Javan Pangolin. They can be found in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the islands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Pangolins are recognised for their scales, and shy attitude. They simply roll when they feel threatened and are known for being nocturnals (only active at night) and then feed by eating termites or ants.
Sad to say that Pangolins are now close to extinction. In 2008, it was listed as one of the "critically endangered" in Singapore's Red Data Book.
Globally, they are illegally sold and traded in markets for its meat and scales. The scales are believed to be used in traditional medicines and a high-end delicacy for it's meat.
Pangolin Conservation
In 2017, a Regional strategy to conserve the Critically Endangered Sunda pangolin was issued. The IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group developed a workshop in partnership with the IUCN Asian Species Action Partnership and Wildlife Reserves Singapore that was sponsored by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.
In the following year, the National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Sunda pangolins was also launched and will be implemented by the Singapore Pangolin Working Group (consisting of government agencies, non-governmental organisations, tertiary institutions and individuals). They will help to conserve the Pangolins species for the next 50 years, and set the goals to achieve the conservation of Singapore's Natural Heritage.
In several reports, some of the Sunda Pangolins were killed in the roads. As these creatures adapted to urbanisation and development of Singapore, they were often seen crossing into roads or forested areas.
If you have seen Pangolins, you can report it to the Singapore Pangolin Working Group website at https://singaporepangolinwg.wordpress.com/record-a-pangolin/.
