Sabah still has a long way to go to improve the fortunes of pangolins, said the animal expert, Elisa Panjang.

The pangolin conservation officer of Danau Girang Field Centre, however, said awareness is growing.

She said even though pangolins are elusive and nocturnal, these precious inhabitants of Sabah’s forests are fast becoming a wildlife icon, together with orangutans, Bornean elephants, sun bears and clouded leopards.

Elisa added pangolins are Totally Protected species under Schedule 1 of the Sabah Wildlife Enactment 1997 but unfortunately they are still being poached.

Pangolins the world over are celebrated on the 3rd Saturday in February every year.

This year, on 18th February, the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pangolin Specialist Group’s World Pangolin Day theme is “Communities Leading Pangolin Conservation”.

Elisa, Sabah’s very own pangolin expert, is taking part.

“There’s an active international network of pangolin experts and conservationists in all range states including in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and I have been involved in podcasts and interviews and co-creating educational materials for social media to share about our exciting work here in Sabah,” said Elisa.

She said efforts are ongoing here through outreach to schools and villages and plantations to increase awareness of the plight of pangolins and how to work together for a brighter future for these fascinating yet critically endangered animals.

“For example, together with the Sabah Wildlife Department and Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP) we have also organised workshops on pangolin rescue and veterinary care of pangolin in captivity before releasing back to the wild. “Husbandry and rehabilitation of rescued or confiscated pangolin is very challenging, especially if young or baby pangolins known as pangopup are found without their mothers, and we are working to increase the capacity of our vets and rangers in caring for pangolins so they have a better chance of survival when going back in their habitat.

“We have produced a poster to raise awareness on how to handle pangolins that can be encountered in your garden, farm or in dangerous situations for the pangolin, so that the public have the knowledge on what to do, or who to contact, if the pangolin is found. We have distributed this poster to schools, villages, plantations and conservation areas,” she said.

For Sylvia Yorath, Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Awareness Manager of LEAP, one of the great things about Sabah is how wildlife and conservation NGOs and government departments work together, in creative partnerships.

“Organisations like Sabah Wildlife Department through its 5R initiative, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Danau Girang Field Centre, WWF Malaysia and other conservation partners from Sabah Environmental Education Network (SEEN), do amazing environmental education and awareness work, collaborating and supporting each other at events and in outreach activities, reaching many different audiences through their combined efforts”.

There are still many challenges though, including local and international demand for meat and scales and loss of forest habitat, and much research still needs to be done on pangolin population estimates and distribution in Sabah.

What does the future hold for Sabah’s pangolins? Elisa is hopeful.

“Importantly, training has been carried out in partnership with the Malaysian judiciary, Sabah Wildlife Department, Danau Girang Field Centre and Justice for Wildlife Malaysia to increase the capacity of authorities and wildlife experts in successfully prosecuting wildlife crime cases including those involving pangolin.

“And work will start soon on formulating the Sunda Pangolin Action Plan for Sabah which will chart a course for the long-term future of these amazing animals”.

For its part, Sabah is celebrating World Pangolin Day with an exciting event to be held at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park on March 11, with exhibitions and dialogues, and an upcycling workshop and children’s games based on pangolin themes.

Organised by Sabah Wildlife Department, Danau Girang Field Centre and LEAP, and hosted by Sabah celebrity and wildlife enthusiast Amy Dangin, the event runs from 9am to 4pm and is open to all.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by THE BORNEO POST

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