• About us
    Welcome News Our Past Our Future People Vision & Mission General Brochure (7.7MB)
  • The Reserve
    Fast Facts The Reserve Wildlife Gallery
  • Visit Lapalala
  • Projects
    Conservation Projects Research Projects Publications Partners Community Projects Lapalala Wilderness School
  • Get Involved
    View all options Newsletter Lapalala Custodianship Programme Become a Custodian Conservation experience Volunteer Programme Lapalala Wilderness Foundation Donate
  • Contact
Home Welcome Contact News Our Past Our Future People Vision & Mission Brochure (7.7MB) The Reserve Fast Facts Wildlife Gallery Visit Lapalala Conservation Projects Research Projects Publications Partners Community Projects Lapalala Wilderness School Newsletter Lapalala Custodianship Programme Become a Custodian Conservation experience Volunteer Programme Lapalala Wilderness Foundation Donate
    View all news

    The Enigmatic Pangolin

      Lesley Simpson     2023-02-08


  • African folklore refers to the pangolin as the wise old man of the bush, believing sightings bring good luck & rain! Right now, the pangolin needs all the luck to survive!

    The enigmatic pangolin has been around for 85 million years, but today it is one of the most illegally trafficked mammals on earth (even more than rhino!). Their populations are decreasing, and their conservation status range from vulnerable (Temminck’s and black-bellied pangolin) to critically endangered (Chinese, Sunda and Philippine pangolins) on the IUCN Red List. They are poached for their scales, which are believed to have medicinal values. Just like rhino horn, pangolin scales are made of keratin with absolutely no medicinal or magical properties.

    Added to this, sadly, pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in parts of Asia, and the body parts are sometimes used for spiritual protection and financial rituals. All in all, such a demand only further adds to the decline in their numbers.

    Pangolins belong to the order Pholidota, derived from the Greek word meaning “covered in scales”. While it looks like a scaly reptile, it is in fact a mammal. Of a total of eight species, four are found in Africa, with another four in Asia. The Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is widespread, found in the northern parts of South Africa, up to most of East Africa and into southern Sudan and Chad.

    The Role of Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve

    Lapalala Wilderness is working with the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) to assist with the soft release of rehabilitated Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii). Poached and captive pangolins are often kept in deplorable conditions and are incredibly stressed and in poor health upon arrival at veterinary hospitals authorised to treat them. After going through a process of rehabilitation and once they have veterinary approval, the pangolins are released into a safe and secure wildlife reserve where they can roam freely, whilst still being closely monitored for up to a year. Lapalala is one of these havens where the pangolins get a second chance to be free and thrive.

    Veterinary & Research Manager of Lapalala Wilderness, Annemieke Muller, explains, “Animals often struggle to adapt to a new environment. Our dedicated Lapalala team, guided by APWG-trained monitors, records movement, weight changes, and feeding success before permanent release takes place. We are privileged to experience these fascinating creatures, each one a unique individual character. One pangolin may be shy and calm, while another is adventurous and outgoing. They all absolutely love ants, and it’s a treat to see them hunting. Every stump and hole is thoroughly investigated, and the digging becomes vigorous when they hit the jackpot! There is still much to learn about this species, and it is a special opportunity to observe them so closely, thereby adding insight into pangolin behaviour.”

    Temminck’s Pangolin Specifications

    1. N.B. (All these are specific to only Temmincks)
    2. The average weight of a mature adult can be as much as 16-17 kilograms.
    3. Although capable of digging their own burrows, pangolins prefer abandoned burrows of porcupines, aardvarks or warthogs.
    4. From head to tail, the average length is 1.2 meters.
    5. The actual tongue of an adult pangolin is about 30cms long.
    6. The tail is very strong and is used for balance and self-defence.
    7. This species is predominantly nocturnal and entirely terrestrial preferring savannah and woodland habitats. They are even found in arid areas such as the Northern Cape, Kalahari, Namibia and Botswana.
    8. Pangolins are solitary creatures, with the pups becoming independent after about five to six months.

    Fun Facts

    1. Babies are called Pango-pups. No-one really knows for certain how long the gestation period is for a Temminck’s pangolin, but it is believed to be four – seven months.
    2. Pups are kept safe deep in the burrow until strong enough to ride on the mother’s tail at around 8 weeks old.
    3. Their tongue is half the length of their combined head and body length to be able to access deep into burrows and termites’ nests.
    4. Temminck’s pangolin walk bipedally/semi-upright, with their forelegs and tails off the ground. The front legs and sharp claws are used for digging to get to termites and ants.
    5. When threatened, the pangolin curls into a tight ball and protects its head and soft scale-free belly.

    Photo credit: africanpangolin.org

    Notes to Editors
    Media enquiries Lesley Simpson (LSC), Johannesburg, South Africa, lesley@lscpr.co.za Tel: +27 (0)82 804 0110 Lapalala Wilderness Reserve is managed by Lapalala Wilderness Foundation NPC, providing a safe habitat for all species that existed historically, including what are now rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. The reserve creates employment opportunities for surrounding communities establishing small businesses in support of the wildlife economy. Lapalala has been as much about people as about nature. Lapalala Wilderness School is a non-profit organisation, depending predominantly on external support, that works to provide environmental education and to date +/-140 000 youngsters have passed through the school. Teacher training is part of the school’s offering.


    Facebook / Instagram / lapalala.com / lwschool.org
  • © 2023 Copyright Lapalala Wilderness
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • PAIA
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsent1 yearRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_DLE9FTQ4N92 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_gtag_UA_212457030_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
vuid2 yearsVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt.innertube::nextIdneverThis cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requestsneverThis cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo