Coral Keegan
The shy, enigmatic pangolin bears the title of the world’s most trafficked non-human mammal. A lack of awareness of and data on these evolutionarily distinct creatures has been a hindrance to their conservation. It is therefore critical to carry out further research to understand where viable pangolin populations remain so conservation efforts can be focused in these regions. Time is of the essence, as the demand for pangolin meat and scales continues to drive down populations across the globe, especially those in Asia. Thailand is home to two critically endangered pangolin species: the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) and the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica). While many pangolins are illegally transported through Thailand, the country’s own pangolin population is virtually unstudied and, for this reason, Thailand is one of the few countries in Southeast Asia that lacks a national conservation plan for the species. Unfortunately, pangolins’ declining populations coupled with their shy nature make them challenging to study through traditional ecological monitoring techniques. This study instead uses local ecological knowledge surveys to collect information about the status of and local threats to pangolins around Kaeng Krachan National Park – Thailand’s largest protected area and newest UNESCO World Heritage site. The data from this study will provide critical information on pangolin populations in this key conservation region and lay the groundwork for further data collection needed to inform a country-level pangolin conservation strategy.