In the Malay language, the term pengguling translates to “the roller.” This is the perfect name for the pangolin – one of the most captivating mammals on Earth.
Resembling an armored anteater, pangolins are famous for curling their bodies into tight “balls” as a defensive mechanism. Their population includes 8 species across 3 genera (Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia).
Sadly, most of them are recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as threatened, vulnerable, or critically endangered, largely due to the high value placed on their meat and scales for their purported medicinal properties in some cultures.
Image of the giant pangolin in Senegal, once thought to be extinct in 1999. (Photo: Fabian von Poser/Getty Images).
This is particularly true for the giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea). As the largest of the 8 species, it can grow up to 1.2 meters long, and the giant pangolin is still considered one of the most trafficked species in the world. This has led to the giant pangolin, along with other pangolin species, becoming extinct across most of its natural range along the equator in Africa.
Historically, this range included the country of Senegal in West Africa. However, no one has spotted a giant pangolin in this country since 1999 until recently.
A Surprising Encounter at Midnight
During a camera trap survey conducted from February to May 2023 in Niokolo-Koba National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site along the Gambia River), scientists working with Panthera Senegal discovered a giant pangolin wandering along the dry riverbed.
The moment of the encounter between the camera and this presumed extinct creature occurred at 1:37 AM local time on March 8, 2023.
The last sighting of the giant pangolin in Senegal was during a similar monitoring survey at the same national park in 1999. Now, 25 years later, the international research team reported this surprising encounter in the African Journal of Ecology in mid-May 2024.
Giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) can grow up to 1.2 meters long.
The authors wrote: “Pangolins have garnered significant attention in recent years, largely due to unprecedented levels of trafficking of this species. Such resurvey efforts not only underscore the importance of systematic biodiversity inventories but also highlight the critical value of large reserves in West Africa.”
Although believed to be locally extinct in Senegal, the giant pangolin still survives beyond its borders in the moist forests of West and Central Africa. However, even in these areas, deforestation and wildlife trafficking have pushed the giant pangolin into a “vulnerable” conservation status.
Thus, the discovery of this species in a country that essentially considered this mammal extinct could enhance conservation efforts in the region.
Alain DT Mouafo, a member of the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, told New Scientist that: “This sighting brings a glimmer of hope for the survival of the giant pangolin in West Africa and could be used to raise community awareness about the hunting plight of pangolins here in particular and globally.”
It is hoped that African pangolins will have a better future compared to their Asian relatives, most of whom are severely threatened.
Recognizing that these fascinating creatures still exist in areas previously thought to be extinct will help them have a better chance of survival and protection.
