As the World Pangolin Day is commemorated, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has called on all and sundry in Nigeria to take urgent and useful actions in saving the remaining species of pangolin in the country’s wild.
The World Pangolin Day was observed on Saturday, February 19, 2022.
NCF in a statement by its Head of Communications, Mr. Oladapo Soneye noted with displeasure that ”all the eight species of pangolin are under so much threat that they could go extinct soonest if drastic steps are not taken.
According to the foundation, “It’s discovered currently as the most trafficked mammal globally.
World Pangolin Day is created to raise public awareness on the endangered status of pangolins, who are threatened by poaching and deforestation of their natural habitats.
“An estimated one-million pangolins have been taken from the wild illegally in globally. If actions are not taken urgently, the earth might lose its only scaly mammal and soil aeration to the incessant cruelty of pangolin smugglers.
“NCF is seeking help of all concerned Nigerians in creating huge awareness about the need for Pangolin conservation. Stop the killing, stop the trading!
“The WPD is an annual historic moment committed by meaningful stakeholders to the creation of civic awareness for proactive actions to conserve and combat trafficking in specimens of Pangolins, while also appraising and celebrating milestones attained in the global push towards Pangolin conservation.
“Pangolins play a critical role in the ecosystems by providing the earth with natural pest control. A single pangolin eats as much as 70million insects per year, which is important to keep soils aerated, tender and fertile.
“In recent times, the rate at which Pangolins are locally sourced, packaged and routed through Nigeria for the international markets and the scale of occasional seizures reported are cogent to motivate the earnest support and participation of identified stakeholders.
“According to MONGABAY – Nigeria’s emergence as a trafficking hub for illegal wildlife appears unhindered by the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2016 and 2019, more seizures were made by law enforcement worldwide, with more than half of this linked to Nigeria.
” In July 2021, officials of Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) made the third-largest seizure of pangolin scales inside the country. This year, several seizures have been made. The recklessness of human activities against pangolin and other wildlife will not only drive the species into extinction but continue to bring epidemic and eventual pandemic”, added NCF.
