What is your favorite animal? For most people, the animal that comes to immediately to mind will be a large mammal- one that we see often in the media, such as pandas, tigers, dolphins, whales or elephants.
Such animals are known as charismatic megafauna- sexy and packed with emotional appeal, they are often used as the ‘poster-boys’ of conservation. After all, who could say no to an adorable panda asking for help?
By nature, humans like things that they perceive as aesthetically pleasing. According to Daniel Frynta, an ecologist at Charles University in Prague, when applied to the animal world, this means we prefer animals that are big, cute and colorful. We also share an affinity with animals that possess physical and mental attributes similar to ours. Overall, we enjoy animals that behave like us, look like us, appear to have considerable intelligence and have similar capacities for social bonding i.e. they play and speak and travel in family groups.
The media is quick to pick up on which animals are popular among the public, and these are the species conservation pieces focus on. This in turn helps the animals garner greater attention from people, which leads to an even higher number of features in the media- and the cycle goes on.
Even Zoos are guilty of this bias. As profit-oriented organizations, they tend to choose to house animals that will bring in crowds, regardless of their conservation status. People will flock to admire white tigers, but few would pay to see an endangered snail.
Unfortunately, while such focus does generate attention and conservation aid for the big, attractive animals, their smaller and less physically-appealing counterparts are neglected.
Such is the plight of the pangolins. Possessing scales in place of fur, the pangolin, with its small beady eyes, long mucous covered tongue and stumpy paws, is not exactly the epitome of cuteness. Often termed ‘ugly’ or ‘weird’, these unassuming animals are typically overlooked or ignored by the public and media in favor of the higher impact species.
Tree pangolin
The consequence is a lack of awareness about Pangolin endangerment. Many people may not even know what pangolins are, or their importance to the environment.
This rampant unfamiliarity towards the pangolins and their conservation status spells disaster for the poor animals. In India, a farmer crushed an unsuspecting pangolin under the wheels of his tractor because he felt threatened by its presence. Other articles report of villagers who are so irrationally afraid of this ‘dangerous and strange animal’ that they bludgeoned a pangolin to death as punishment for frightening the locals. In these cases, killing a pangolin is regarded as a sign of bravery and something to be proud of.
Perceived threats to one’s safety can cause negative attitudes towards animals and influence support for wild-life management strategies. Since no one ever informed the locals that pangolins are harmless, it is unsurprising that they have developed a hostile and wary attitude towards this animal, and thus, are unwilling to adopt measures to protect it.
Without concern and compassion from the public, it is easy for the pangolin to fade quietly into oblivion. The absence of public pressure means related governments and organizations have no real motivation to heavily enforce existing laws on pangolin trafficking and halt the illegal wildlife trade. They place pangolins low on their list of priorities and are reluctant to act to save the homes and habitats of these animals. It is far too easy for the government to turn their attentions and resources to other issues which garner more interest.
I will leave you with an excerpt from angrypangolin, which I feel, succinctly sums up the issue:
The pangolin is angry.
“Why Panda?” He says. “Why that silly fat bastard?”
Pangolin strokes his shiny brown arms. “Is my skin made of fingernails not CUTE ENOUGH?”
Pangolin took a few hunchbacked steps. “Is my gentle scuttle DISTASTEFUL IN SOME WAY?”
With a swish of his armored tail, the woeful mammal drew himself up to his full height, and puffed out his chest.
“I too, am ENDANGERED!” The pangolin yelled.
“I too, am a native species of CHINA!” The pangolin stamps his stumpy paw, his long yellow toenails clicking against the bottom of the cage.
“I would like the SUPPORT of my government!
I would like PROTECTED areas!
Not to be POACHED!
Not to be EATEN!”