Zimbabwean pangolins threatened with extinction

As first appeared in Community Podium News in Zimbabwe, here. Written by Calvin Manika.

February 11 2023

Experts estimate that 100,000 of the enigmatic mammals are taken from the wild in Asia and Africa each year

Pangolins are illegally hunted for their meat and scales, usually destined for the black market in Asia. Image by Tikki Hywood Foundation.

In 2021, two men from Madumabisa, Number 2 village in Hwange were sentenced to 9 years each after being caught in possession of a live pangolin in the  Matetsi area. The two had a pangolin wrapped in a jacket when the game scouts pounced on them.

The courts in Matabeleland North have dealt with several cases of pangolin traffickers. Despite the  deterrent mandatory sentences, the pangolin remains under threat from human hunting for trafficking.

In most cases the villagers have been arrested while trying to find a buyer after having kept the mammal for days in unfavourable conditions.

“People get it by chance or hunt it down. Even though there is often an apparent intent to, most of the times they don’t have a ready buyer,” said Clayton Banda, a villager in Hwange.

Statistics on trafficking show that most of the pangolins end up in Asia where the scales and meat are believed to have medicinal values among other uses. The markets in Asia are known to be lucrative for these species where the ultimate sellers sell them for tens of thousands dollars.

“We have heard that the live mammal or its products fetch a lot of money in Asia but here most of the villagers are paid  very little. They are happy to receive $100. It’s a combination of poverty and ignorance,” added Banda.

Tanaka Chibanda, a conservation activist in Hwange says building awareness among local people is very important in reducing pangolin trafficking.

“Local knowledge is very important in conservation efforts. With proper training and teaching, villagers can be at the forefront of protecting nature and the fight against wildlife crime. So, we must actively involve everyone at our different levels,” says Chibanda.

Lisa Hywood founded the Tikki Hywood Foundation in 1994 in memory of her father, the late Tikki Hywood. The Foundation protects a number of largely unknown  species that are facing extinction. However, pangolins are the foundation’s flagship species.

“The pangolin is a deeply respected animal in Zimbabwean culture and so when I decided to establish the Foundation in my father’s honour, I chose the pangolin as our logo,” said Lisa Hywood.

The Tikki Hywood Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organisation, which strives to bring recognition, awareness and sustainable conservation action to lesser known endangered species, such as the highly endangered pangolin. With an expansive view on welfare, policy and legislation for wildlife, they engage with appropriate authorities to effect proactive change for the improved preservation of fauna and flora.  

For almost three decades Tikki Hywood Foundation has grown to be global experts in the conservation and preservation of African pangolins. The organisation rescues, rehabilitates and releases pangolins, giving them a second chance to be wild and free where all pangolins should be. 

“About 29 years ago, Negomo, an adult female pangolin, arrived in a used mealie meal sack, smelling and terrified. When I stared into the sack my heart started pounding as I had not the slightest idea of what to do, or how I would be able to help this desperate animal. This was my first rescued pangolin,” said Lisa.

Brutally persecuted for their scales and meat, pangolin numbers are plummeting. Records by expert organisations show that around 100,000 are taken from the wild in Africa and Asia each year, driving a silent extinction.

Populations have declined dramatically across the continent, with pockets of isolated wilderness areas retaining the last healthy populations.

Tikki Hywood Foundation has been involved in both international and local synergies in reversing the threats faced by pangolins. Community Podium’s visit to Harare, the capital, was an eye opener on Tikki Hywood’s work in the  rehabilitation of pangolins.

The provision of a safe and suitable habitat is crucial for the long-term survival of pangolins, the most heavily trafficked mammal on the planet. 

Lisa says her organisation has partnered with organisations in other countries including Cameroon, to rescue, rehabilitate and release pangolins. 

“The partnership consists of cross-continent cooperation, harnessing Tikki Hywood Foundation’s specialised species knowledge and skills and African Parks’ operational capacity in remote areas to rescue, rehabilitate and release trafficked or vulnerable animals into parks managed by African Parks in partnership with governments,” she said.

“Without collaborative action, this lesser-known and critically endangered animal will disappear forever in the face of a rampant illicit trade. In partnering with the respected Tikki Hywood Foundation, we can take the rescue and rehabilitation of pangolins a step further – giving them an adequate safe harbour in well-protected areas vital for their survival in their remaining African range,” said African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead.

Conservationists hailed the joint efforts that will facilitate training in best practices and procedures for pangolin rehabilitation, the provision of specialised support and the resources needed to scale capacity for the protection and wellbeing of rescued and orphaned pangolins across the continent.

“Many people in Zimbabwe, in fact the majority, have never seen the pangolin yet it is the most trafficked mammal. This means coordinated efforts are important to close in the net on traffickers and curb this wildlife crime. Seeing local organisations working with international stakeholders gives hope amidst all these threats,” said Amos Ncube, a safari guide in Hwange.

Lisa Hywood says her organisation’s resilience can save pangolins through working with like-minded people in wildlife conservation.

“After having had the privilege of working with this enigmatic and highly threatened mammal for nearly three decades, it is becoming alarmingly apparent that we could lose pangolin as a species within our lifetime. Now more than ever it is important for restorative action such as the work undertaken by African Parks and Gonarezhou Conservation Trust. We are incredibly excited about this partnership as a platform for far-reaching conservation of pangolins,” said Lisa.

Temminck’s Ground Pangolin Smutsia temminckii is the only pangolin species native to Zimbabwe. Very little is known of its status in the wild although populations are thought to be in decline. In 1975 it was placed on the country’s Specially Protected Species list, which affords the species full protection.

According to Zimbabwean law, any person convicted of the unlawful killing, possession of, or trading in any Specially Protected Species is liable, on first conviction, to imprisonment for a period of not less than nine years, and for a second or subsequent conviction to imprisonment for a period of not less than eleven years.

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.