Population Increases - African Wildlife

8 African Wildlife News
Wildlife WATCH
The pangolin ambles along on all
fours. But to move more
quickly, it stands up on two
feet, using its long tail for
support. It can run
three miles per hour.
The pangolin has mistakenly been
called an armadillo. It also has
scent glands similar to those of a
skunk that can be used to spray its
enemies. But the pangolin is actually most
closely related to the anteater.
The Cape pangolin weighs 30-40
pounds, is between two and four feet long,
and lives an average of 20 years. It has a
well-developed sense of smell and
hearing, but poor vision. The pangolin is
nocturnal and spends the daylight hours
underground. Pangolins are found in the
tropical areas of Africa and Asia.
The name pangolin comes from the
Malayan word peng-goling, meaning to
roll over. This refers to the animal’s ability
to roll into a tight, protective ball when
threatened. The pangolin can also lash out
with the razor-sharp scales that cover its
body and long tail.
Pangolins eat ants and termites. They
locate the insects by smell and then
quickly dig them from the mound with their
powerful front paws. The pangolin’s
extremely long tongue (up to 16 inches) is
Pangolin
Daryl & Sharna Balfour
covered with sticky saliva that quickly
grabs the insects.
At birth, a common pangolin is just six
inches long and weighs 12 ounces. After a
month, the infant will ride on the base of
the mother’s tail. If the mother senses
danger, she will slip the baby under her
and roll up around her infant.
Pangolins are endangered animals.
They are hunted for their skin (to make
boots and belts) and their meat. Some
people believe a combination of
pangolin scales and bark from certain
trees neutralizes witchcraft and evil
spirits. Others believe burning their
scales keeps lions and other wild
animals away.
As an AWF member, you help protect
unique wildlife like the pangolin through
your support.
For more profiles of the animals you
help protect through your support of the
African Wildlife Foundation, please visit
www.awf.org/wildlives.
Survey of Rare
Wattled Crane
Funded by AWF
An aerial survey of wattled
cranes was conducted in the
Okavango Delta of Botswana
in 2003. The survey, which took place
in the Four Corners Heartland, was
funded by AWF. Two airplanes
equipped with Global Positioning
Systems (GPS) were used for the
survey.
Results show an estimated total of
1,450 birds and 77 nests. These totals
are slightly higher than estimates from
2002 (1,205 birds and 76 nests). The
slight increase is reportedly due to
narrower strips taken in the flight
pattern. This improves the precision of
the survey by reducing the chance of
missing birds.
The Okavango holds the largest
single population of wattled cranes –
about 18% of the global population
(estimated to be 8,000). The population
has decreased by more than 2,000 birds
over the past eight years. This makes
monitoring the wattled crane a high
priority.
The majority of the Okavango
wattled crane population falls outside
the protection of the Moremi Game
Reserve. A large percentage of the
birds are offered some protection in the
Wildlife Management Areas that border
Moremi. Major conservation efforts
need to be directed toward these
areas.
This important survey and other
key projects wouldn’t be possible
without the help of concerned
members like you. Thank you!
I Want to Do My Part to Save the Wildlife and Wild Lands of Africa
As an AWF member, I know my partnership makes a difference
for the wildlife and wild lands of the African Heartlands. That’s
why I’m enclosing my tax-deductible contribution of:
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PROTECT
WILDLIFE
TODAY!
A044
James Weis