Hello John, do you love pangolins as much as we do?!
It’s World Pangolin Day and we celebrate these ancient animals, unchanged for 70 million years. Described by Sir David Attenborough as “One of the dearest animals I’ve ever met”, everything about them is special!
The only mammal covered in scales, pangolins walk on two legs and use a 40cm sticky tongue to scoop up ants. Curled in a ball, sharp scales protect against predators, even a lion.
But, these shy, secretive animals have no defence against humans and thousands are killed for meat and scales – used in traditional medicine. All eight species are threatened with extinction and their numbers continue to decrease. But, with your help, Born Free works hard to stop this terrible trade and protect wild pangolins.