2011 deals yet another massive blow to the world’s pangolins, with possibly 40,000 – 60,000 slaughtered last year alone.

The year 2011 saw a minimum of 44 media-reported pangolin seizures across at least ten different East and Southeast Asian nations, France, and numerous African countries.

Together, these incidents yielded an estimated equivalent of 8,000-12,000 pangolins, but experts warn that these busts represent only a small fraction of what’s actually circulating the illegal wildlife trade.

In fact, many claim authorities only detect about 20% of the wildlife in this black market circuit -– meaning the total number of pangolins poached in 2011 could be as many as 41,000 to 60,000 individuals.

2011 in Review

With at least eight seizures in 2011, India had more than any other country in the world this past year.

India is followed closely by Indonesia and Malaysia (which each saw six seizures) and Thailand and Vietnam with no less than five each.

Although India saw more seizures last year than any other country, these instances seem to have been mostly smaller in size, while in Indonesia there tended to be several much larger confiscated hauls.

May, August, and December saw more pangolin busts than any other months of the year, with six occurring in each of the three.

Click here to see database containing 2011′s media-reported pangolin seizures.

Increased concerns over threats to African pangolins in 2011

AllAfrica.com reported in March that, in a unified effort to combat trans-border wildlife trade, enforcement officials seized some 4,726 kg of pangolin meat from several African nations between January and February of 2011.

The special operation yielded a total of over 22 tonnes of wildlife contraband, which also included numerous raw and finished ivory products, seahorses, and rhino horns.

Experts are concerned about increasing threats to Africa’s pangolins, as there have been an increasing number of pangolin seizures throughout Africa, bound for China – including one in 2011 that was linked to a Chinese logging company operating in Mozambique.

In addition to overseas demand for these elusive creatures, there is also a local market for their flesh and body parts for use in superstitious rituals.

Read more about China’s pressure on these African animals here.

Indonesia: A major supplier in the illicit pangolin trade

Indonesia had the world’s largest single seizure of 2011 — a whopping 5.9 tonne shipment of pangolin flesh and an additional 790 kg of pangolin scales intercepted by Customs officials at Jakarta’s largest port in May.

This haul alone may represent some 2,300-2,500 individual scaly anteaters.

Indonesia and Malaysia were tied for the second highest number of pangolin seizures globally in 2011, with a total of six such busts in each of the two countries.

The top three biggest seizures of the year all took place in Indonesia.

The island nation serves as a major source for these animals entering the trade and is also used as a major transit route for the smuggling of these and other wildlife.

Pangolin poaching in Indonesia has increased dramatically in recent years, in the wake of severe population reductions that radiate outward from China – the world leader in pangolin consumption.

China seems to have made only one pangolin bust in 2011

In August, China Central TV reported that Chinese officials had seized fourteen live pangolins, ivory, and other illegal wildlife products from black market traders in the Yunnan Province.

(See China Central TV’s report here, but viewers should be warned that it contains graphic and disturbing footage.)

At the time, the investigation was said to be ongoing.

Based on media reporting, this seems to be the only pangolin seizure made in China in 2011.

If that is the case, this isolated incident would be the first reported pangolin bust the country has made since a massive seizure of over 2,000 dead pangolins in July of 2010.

Sadly, products derived from these animals – such as pangolin wine – continue to be sold and auctioned off in China, despite their listing on the Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and continued alarming declines in all four Asian species.

December ends the year with a bang

The final month of 2011 saw at least six pangolin busts – including one on the very last day of the year.

Three of the incidents, including the one on New Year’s Eve, occurred in Vietnam, with a total of over 200 live pangolins seized over the past three weeks.

• Dantri International reported on 106 pangolins seized by Vietnamese police on December 11
• VietNews covered Hanoi police’s seizure of 56 scaly anteaters on the16th
• Another haul of live pangolins weighing 350 kg – an estimated equivalent of 50-70 individuals – were confiscated in Ha Tinh on New Year’s Eve, according to Tuoitre News

Earlier in December, a newly formed Customs team in Indonesia confiscated the flesh of some 1,068 pangolins from a ship bound for the Philippines, after a wild goose chase at high seas ended with the suspects’ vessel running aground and the crew jumping overboard and fleeing the scene.

The haul was one of the largest intercepted in 2011 and was reportedly buried in an attempt to prevent any parts of the animals from being stolen for sale in the black market trade.

December’s other two busts took place in India and in Thailand:

• Kangla Online reported that India’s Assam Rifles also seized 17 kg of pangolin scales in mid-December
• Thai authorities confiscated 74 of these animals, said to be worth over US $43,000, on Christmas night, according to Battaya Mail

Surging demand for pangolins

These animals are in high demand in East and Southeast Asia, with China and Vietnam identified as the largest consumer nations.

There, the flesh of adults and fetuses are consumed as delicacies and their scales are used to make traditional medicines.

According to wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC, pangolins are the most commonly encountered mammals in the illegal wildlife trade in Asia.

Click here to see eight things everyone should know about black market trade in pangolins.

Superstitious beliefs stimulate trade

Like other animal-based traditional Chinese medicines, pangolins’ body parts and scales are superstitiously used as somewhat of a “cure-all” remedy for things like reducing swelling, improving liver function, weight loss, stimulating blood circulation, and enhancing lactation in breast-feeding women.

There is no scientific evidence to support any of the medicinal claims made about pangolin body parts.

Rhino horn and pangolin scales, much like our own hair and nails, are chiefly composed of keratin.

Studies have repeatedly shown rhino horn to be void of any curative properties.

Image: © Pam Krzyza

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