Le Leilani Chavez
Little is known about Philippine pangolin, the only species of pangolin in the country. Views of the animal are even rarer. But unlike other endangered pangolin species around the world, a new study suggests that, with the appropriate conservation measures, the Philippines’ endemic bullet is still firing on a backlash. .
In a study published in December last year in the journal Ecology and Global Conservation, researchers conducting a comprehensive study found that Philippine pangolins (Manis culionensis) are found in 17 of the 24 urban districts of Palawan, an island district that is the only place on Earth where this species is found.
“This is promising for Philippine pangolin and suggests that it is not too late to establish conservation efforts across the species range,” lead author Lucy Archer, of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), tells Mongabay.
An enigmatic genre
Little is known about Philippine pangolin, even though the IUCN considers the species endangered, there is no estimate for the underlying population. The scientific literature shows that the species has never been common, and interviews with indigenous communities conducted in 2018 show that it has been in decline since the 1980s, IUCN notes .
However, the newly published study provides reason for optimism.
Comprehensive similar studies assessing locals’ knowledge of pangolins, conducted in West Africa for the giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) and in China and Vietnam for the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), showing that the locals strongly believe that their pangolin species are extinct: sightings are rare or non-existent. The Philippine pangolins are not like this: they are still seen by the locals, though they are rare, and the number of areas where they are found is high.
“Compared to similar studies of pangolin species elsewhere, these results show that Philippine pangolin numbers may not have reached the required levels shown by Chinese pangolins in China and Vietnam, or by large pangolins. in Benin, “Archer says. “This gives the species some hope.”
The survey ran from January to June 2019 and will help establish the distribution range of the species based on what residents saw. The locals call the animal balintong, which means “somersault,” in terms of its use of rolling away to hide from danger.
The Philippine pangolin until 1998 was considered a separate population of the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), which occurs throughout much of Southeast Asia, but not the Philippines. Identification as a species itself coincided with the rise of local poaching: high demand for pangolin blades in China and Vietnam, coupled with increased enforcement of Sunda pangolin trade routes, traders saw their attention to Philippine pangolin.
Range of the four pangolin species in Asia: the Chinese, Indian, Sunda and Philippine pangolins. A mixture of colors within the maps shows an overlap in the distributions of the different species. The species ranges are based on IUCN Red List assessments (IUCN 2014). Note: The distribution maps are currently being updated by the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group. Image courtesy of the University of Adelaide / TRAFFIC. Image courtesy of the University of Adelaide / TRAFFIC
Local conservators also link an increase in Chinese projects in the Philippines to a growing demand for pangolin meat in restaurants in Manila catering to Chinese workers and visitors. In a span of two years, Philippine pangolins have become one of the most commercial species in the country, pushing them to a status that is in serious danger both on the IUCN and on the national red lists.
Human trafficking catches of cargo would often carry both pangolins and various species of turtles. But since 2018, Philippine authorities have been importing loads made up of pangolin-only parts. In September 2019, authorities in Puerto Princesa City, the capital of Palawan, made the largest-ever seizure of Philippine pangolins: 1,154 kilograms (2,545 pounds), for which at least 3,900 pangolins would have been killed.
From 2018 to 2019, 6,894 Philippine pangolins were seized by local authorities, according to a recent report published by wildlife trade research group TRAFFIC. The figure is alarming, conservationists say, as there are no clear estimates for how many animals are left.
But while researchers are racing against time to save the local pangolin population, studies are limited by the specific and cryptic uses of pangolin. Pangolins are solitary, nocturnal, non-verbal and semi-arid. While these signals have not been sufficient to protect them from poachers, they do make it difficult to study the wild species, Archer says.
“Imagine walking through a forest at night and trying to find something that doesn’t make much noise and could be alone up a tree,” she says. “It would take a lot of time and effort. ! “
These cryptographic behaviors lead to low detection probabilities, meaning that the chances of seeing one, even if nearby, are “very small,” Archer adds.
“So general biodiversity studies rarely record pangolins and so specific targeted study methods are needed,” she says. “However, such methods are still being developed for pangolins and so we have not yet adopted standard inspection methods … partly because they are so difficult to find and therefore making improving these methods difficult! “
Locals offer clubs
This is where the study with Archer and her team comes in handy. It builds on the existing knowledge base by drawing on what is known as local ecological knowledge (LEK), a type of data that builds on the personal views or interactions of local people. in an area. where sex is found.
“LEK is based on the premise that local people can often retain more information and provide important information and knowledge about rare species that use the same environments as them,” says Archer. It is clear from this result that local people have a wealth of important knowledge of wildlife in their local areas – they are the real experts. “
But although it has been used in conservation, especially in community-led conservation efforts, the knowledge of local people about their environments remains a largely unused database. “It has the advantages of being able to collect a lot of information across geographical areas over a relatively short period of time and at low costs – this study took place over 6 months,” says Archer.
“We hope that studies like this will help to develop ways in which new methods of study can be tried in areas where we know at least that the species exists. We can also use local knowledge to focus on special habitats and places where people have recently seen the species., “an archer says.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents in the Palawan study were able to identify and provide information about Philippine pangolin, but said that sightings are rare or very rare, even compared to other species that are in danger. This highlights the urgent need to establish local conservation initiatives, the study says. And the study notes a generally high level of local support for wildlife protection, particularly the pangolin.
“With high levels of experience and a high willingness to be involved in conservation efforts reported by respondents to this study, I think local people are well placed to help lead and ‘improve conservation efforts, “Archer says.
The study forms the basis for ZSL conservation action and community involvement in the northern Palawan town of Taytay, one of the conservation priority areas identified. Archer says the second phase involves the use of camera bells to monitor the species, which will help create a community conservation area.
“We hope this will provide a useful information body that can be used by local governments and conservation groups to inform conservation efforts, and which can be explored in the future to monitor trends in species status and threats. , “she says.
Posted by permission of Mongabay.
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