It became endangered. Why? The silly Asians again ...
THERE IS AN UNPRETENTIOUS MARKET-VILLAGE IN MYANMAR, in the north, close to the Chinese border, called Mong-la. It became the international center of the PANGOLIN trade. June 2016: Customs investigators confiscated in Hong Kong stupefying 4 tons of Pangolin scales, which means: over a 1000 animals had to die for this smuggled load alone. I’m sure none of my readers have ever seen a Pangolin live, me neither. It’s a nocturnal animal, looking like an artichoke on four feet, with a long tail and a ant bear’s snout. The „Knight in Armor“ of the animal world, feeding on insects, timid and diversified in 8 species all over Africa. Some witchdoctors, and unfortunately a lot of silly Asians, believe, that the scales are a potent medicine against the lack of mother’s milk, stomach pain, slow wound healing and male impotence. Imagine, people nibbling Pangolin scales like artichoke bracts! I tell you: It’s all an enormous nonsense. The scales are made of exactly the same material as human fingernails – Karatin. Absolutely useless against any ailment! And for this error a very peculiar, decorative, unique, antique and lovable animal is hunted into extinction …