Link to Article and Video- http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/04/opinion/sutter-change-the-list-pangolin-trafficking/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
The pangolin is one of the most unique animals in the world, but the only people who seem to know about it are illegal poachers and pangolin traffickers. Pangolins are scaly mammals indigenous to parts of Asia and Africa that seem more like crocodiles. Their bodies are covered with keratin scales (the same material fingernails are made out of) and they mainly eat ants, due to the fact their skinny tongues are longer than their bodies, allowing them to pick ants out of very small nooks and crannies.
But why would an animal like this be highly valued and trafficked for exorbitant values? People all over Asia want pangolins mainly for medicinal reasons because eating parts of the pangolin is said to act as a form of medicine and help heal the human body, even though this has never been proven. Pangolin is also sold in many Asian restaurants as a delicacy for up to $350. It is estimated that up to 230,000 pangolins were illegally stolen and then sold over the last two years. This rapid amount of poaching has expedited the shrinking of the pangolin population, now making pangolins one of the most endangered species of animals in the world. Even though pangolins are protected by national parks and local governments, many people in poverty who are in need of money will steal them from the wild and sell them to trafficking agencies. Pangolins are easy prey because they're only form of protection is rolling up into a scaly ball, which can easily be picked up by pangolin purloiners. Despite conservation efforts, very few people are aware of the pangolin's plight. Because of this ignorance, pangolins may become extinct in the next decade before people ever knew they even existed.
This issue of pangolin poaching is just another example of how our modern-day society continues to undervalue the importance of the natural beauty of earth and all the flora and fauna it contains. The fact that the pangolin, one of the rarest animals on Earth, is on the verge of extinction because some people just want to make some easy money selling precious pangolin parts. It is saddening to think that our current world values money and material items more than nature, an irreplaceable gift that doesn't come with a price tag or a better version coming out next year. Its funny how people only seem to care about polar bears or pandas because they're "soft" and "adorable". I find it peculiar that companies like Coca-Cola never try to ensure the longevity of animals like the pangolin, because they look unusual and are unpleasant eye candy to millions of consumers worldwide watching Coke's commercials. Additionally, Chinese restaurants are completely willing to sell plush pandas, but would you ever imagine seeing a plush pangolin for $7.99 plus tax? Large companies don't even really care about the plight of endangered species, just the fact they're good for selling their product or increasing a company's reputation in the eye of the public. Some people, however, do see the true beauty in animals such as the pangolin and are willing to work for the protection of pangolins for years to come, because they know all of nature is a gift from God to us that we must continue to preserve and conserve for generations to come. Overall, the pangolin problem and the extinction crises of many other animals can help us as humans join together and fight to keep all of nature intact, because it is truly the only beautiful thing left in our current world. But why is it only when a great tasting soda tells us to protect animals, that we truly start to care about them?
