The Singapore government, wildlife organizations and NGOs (non-profit organizations) are working very hard to protect our pangolins. There are strict laws and regulations in place to help regulate the trade of pangolins locally and various corporations are working together to put in place strategies that will help raise awareness for pangolins as well as counter the problem of habitat loss and forest fragmentation in Singapore. Here, I have listed some prominent examples of what is being done to help the scaly anteaters.
AVA (Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority)
In Singapore, Sunda pangolins are protected under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act enforced by the AVA. Under this act, there is a blanket ban on the trading of wild pangolins for commercial purposes. AVA may issue permits for the import or export of pangolins if certain conditions are met. Under the Act, anyone caught smuggling endangered species like the pangolin is liable to be prosecuted in court and fined a maximum of S$50,000 for each animal and/or jailed for up to two years.
Wildlife Reserves
When wild pangolins are rescued or brought in to authorities, the Singapore Zoo vets will examine and treat the anteaters before releasing or relocating them.
Singapore Zoo vet conducting a health check on a Sunda pangolin.
The Night Safari has also been looking into establishing a viable captive management programme. The foremost goal was to formulate a sustainable captive diet, and to initiate a comprehensive husbandry protocol. The long term goal of this captive management programme is to head towards a captive breeding programme; to breed the Malayan Pangolin in captivity for conservation purposes to support the declining wild population. A new pangolin exhibit has also been set up in the Night Safari to raise awareness regarding the anteater’s plight.
National Parks (Nparks) and Land Transport Authority (LTA)
Proposed design of the Eco-link
Nparks and LTA are collaborating on a 17 million dollar eco-link that will span across Bukit Timah express way to re-establish the linkage between Singapore’s largest primary and secondary forests, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. This is the first of its kind in South East Asia and is meant to be an ecological corridor where the effective exchange of native plant and animal genetic materials between the two reserves can take place. Native animals such as flying squirrels, monitor lizards, palm civets, pangolins, porcupines, birds, insects and snakes, will be able to travel between the reserves to find other food sources, homes and mates. This will also help plant species to propagate by way of pollination and dispersal by the animals. In the longer term, the Eco-Link will help restore the ecological balance in these fragmented habitats and provide a conducive environment for our biodiversity to thrive.
Hopefully this link will also help reduce the number of pangolins that get run over by cars while attempting to get from one reserve to the other.
ACRES and Cicadatree Eco-Place
Both non-profit organizations have planned events and outreach efforts in order to raise money for pangolin research as well as increase public’s awareness of the scaly anteaters’ plight. For example, Cicadatree Eco-Place implemented an environmental education program, ‘Mad Lesson on Pangolins’ in 2010, which is aimed at teaching children age 5 to 10 about pangolins in Singapore. They also hosted a gala dinner in 2011 to obtain donations for funding research on the illegal trade in pangolins in South East Asia.
Every bit of effort put in by these organizations contributes to ensuring the Asian pangolins will survive to see another day.