I don't know if anything has brought me to the edge of my seat in squee-filled anticipation lately like watching this tiny, wet pangolin nose inch slowly out of its box.
This critically endangered Sunda (or Malayan) pangolin was rescued and released by the crew of Vietnam's Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program (CPCP), who not only rehabilitate trade-confiscated pangolins back into the wild, but also track them using radio telemetry so they can monitor their progress and prevent future run-ins with poachers. Wildlife criminals have scooped up over a million pangolins in the last decade, and with over 10,000 being poached annually (that's more than rhinos!), these strange-looking scaly anteaters need all the help they can get.
If you know a little about them, you might notice that the pangolin in this video isn't using the quirky T. rex walking gait that some pangolin species display (it's worth a look, go on). This is because 'walking like dinosaurs' is a strategy more likely to be employed by ground pangolins as they wander about looking for termite nests to excavate with their impressive claws. Their tree-dwelling cousins, like this Sunda, typically live in forests and use tree hollows as den sites, all of which means fewer opportunities for 'rex' impersonations.
Total pangolin novice? Here are some more awesome facts:
For more information on how to get involved in helping pangolins, head over to the CPCP website.
Top header image: Esther Simpson/Flickr
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