Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are unique mammals found in both Africa and Asia. They are characterized by their distinctive scales made of keratin, the same substance found in rhino horns and human fingernails. These creatures, however, face significant threats due to poaching and habitat loss, driven by demand for their scales and meat. In Africa, pangolins hold a special place in spiritual and cultural rituals, as well as in traditional medicine. This article delves into the cultural significance of pangolins in Africa, their use in traditional medicine, and the conservation challenges they face.
Pangolins are the only mammals on Earth covered in protective keratin scales. Despite their uniqueness, pangolins are also the most heavily trafficked wild mammals in the world.
Pangolins in African Culture and Rituals
In many African cultures, pangolins are more than just animals; they are symbols deeply intertwined with spiritual beliefs and practices. Social anthropologist Martin Walsh has documented the special place pangolins hold in the beliefs of the Sangu people in Tanzania. It is believed that pangolins are sent from the sky by the spirits of ancestors. When someone encounters a pangolin, they are treated as if they were the parent of newborn twins, an event requiring special ritual treatment. The songs sung during these rituals are the same as those used for twin-birth ceremonies, and the pangolin is said to join in the dancing, with tears interpreted as an omen of good rains.
In Africa their scales are used in spiritual and cultural rituals; in Asia they are used in traditional medicines.
Some tribes in Africa use the Pangolin motif in headdresses. One example is the Bamana. The Pangolin Spirit Animal’s central message is one of non-violence and personal protection. Now is not the time for throwing caution to the winds. There’s trouble afoot, and Pangolin counsels keeping personal matters close to the vest for now. Keep your nose to the winds and trust your instincts.
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In the Sangu cosmology, it’s believed Pangolins live in the sky, where the Ancestors abide. The Ancestors send Pangolins to Earth as a blessing. When a person finds this creature, they must follow it everywhere with the hope the Pangolin wanders into the fortunate person’s home. The village dispatches a messenger to the Chief to let him know of Pangolin’s arrival. A celebratory ritual follows with singing and dancing. Even the Pangolin joins in the festivity, standing on its hind legs.
Pangolin Conservation
Pangolins in Traditional African Medicine
Pangolins have long been used for traditional medicinal purposes in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 80% of the continent’s population depends on traditional medicine for their healthcare needs. Traditional medical practitioners rely on wild animals, plant species, and mineral resources to prepare therapeutic remedies. Pangolins, in particular, are believed to possess magical healing powers.
A study conducted in Sierra Leone revealed that 22 pangolin body parts are used to treat various ailments and conditions under 17 international categories of diseases. The scales of pangolins had the highest use report (UR), followed by oil meat, head and tail, respectively. The scales were found to be the most medicinally versatile body part.
Traditional Yorubic medicine also accommodated some situations that are out of the range of conventional medicine like boosting sales, conferring invisibility, removing bad luck, appeasing/wading off witches cum evil forces and money rituals.
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The study indicates a high importance value for pangolins as part of these communities’ spiritual, cultural and medicinal beliefs.
Pangolin scales seized in Uganda.
Use Value, Informant Agreement Ratio, and Use Agreement Value
To quantify the importance of pangolin body parts in traditional medicine, researchers use several indices:
- Use Value (UV): Measures the number of uses mentioned by informants for a given pangolin part.
- Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR): Measures the consensus level among informants for pangolin body parts.
- Use Agreement Value (UAV): Provides an estimation of a medicinal resource's cultural significance.
The scales of pangolins consistently show high use values, indicating their importance in traditional healing practices. The eyes, on the other hand, had the highest level of consensus among traditional medical practitioners.
Table: Use of Pangolin Body Parts in Traditional Medicine
| Body Part | Highest Use Value (UV) | Highest Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR) | Common Ailments Treated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scales | Spiritual ailments | Spiritual ailments | Skin diseases, musculoskeletal issues, spiritual problems |
| Oil | Diseases of the skin | Diseases of the skin | Skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases |
| Meat | Diseases of the digestive system | Diseases of the digestive system | Digestive system issues |
| Eyes | Certain infectious and parasitic diseases | Certain infectious and parasitic diseases | Infectious and parasitic diseases |
| Head | Spiritual ailments | Spiritual ailments | Various ailments |
| Tail | Spiritual ailments | Spiritual ailments | Various ailments |
| Bones | Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue | Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue | Various ailments |
Conservation Challenges
Despite their cultural and medicinal importance, pangolins face severe threats. Estimates indicate that more than a million animals were poached between 2004 and 2014. All eight pangolin species are listed in Appendix II of CITES, and the giant ground pangolin is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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More than one million pangolins are estimated to have been killed and traded between 2000 and 2013. These animals are in high demand for the exotic pet trade and for use in traditional medicine, particularly in China and Vietnam. Among the saddest of pangolin poaching facts are the cruel methods used to hunt these animals. Poachers light fires to smoke pangolins out of their burrows and tree-top hollows.
In Africa, pangolins are sold as a form of bushmeat, for ritual or spiritual purposes, and use in traditional African medicine.
Pangolins and their body parts are often sold at high prices on the black market because they are in high demand for traditional medicine and luxury consumption, despite having no proven benefits.
Legal measures focus on curbing poaching and the supply side of the market, while media attention and public awareness can be crucial to the success to animal conservation efforts by affecting demand.
The Plight of a Rescued Pangolin
The story of a rescued giant pangolin in Congo highlights the challenges these animals face. WCS staff in Congo were faced with an enormous task when they received a call that a giant pangolin had been seized by Congolese authorities. The animal required immediate attention if it were to survive. Pangolins are insectivorous and nocturnal mammals that are highly susceptible to stress and generally do not survive in managed care.
The female giant pangolin was a juvenile weighing nearly 40 pounds and measuring more than three-and-a-half feet in length. It was transported to the WCS Congo offices in the town of Ouesso, Republic of Congo, in a plastic laundry basket. Understanding that time was of the essence, the team transported the animal at first light.
It was taken to the edge of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, a protected area in the northern part of Republic of Congo, where Dr. Alain Ondzie, a wildlife veterinarian with the WCS Wildlife Health Program in Congo, was able to examine the animal. It was determined that other than a minor injury to its leg, the pangolin was in good health considering what was likely a traumatic couple of weeks.
The giant pangolin is the largest of eight pangolin species and adults can weigh up to 75 pounds. They are native to Central Africa and classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Efforts to Protect Pangolins
Fortunately, change is happening. Here at World Animal Protection, we’ve been working to end the exploitation of animals for traditional medicine by promoting plant-based alternatives and influencing policy change China has now removed pangolin medicine from the 2025 edition of its pharmacopoeia, China’s official standard for clinical prescriptions. This change is welcome.
Governments and non-governmental organizations have undertaken a variety of conservation efforts, with varying activities and degrees of success in different parts of the world. Public awareness and support for conservation efforts can be important to their success.
On 17 February 2017, a day before World Pangolin Day, officials in Cameroon burned 3 tonnes of confiscated pangolin scales, representing up to 10,000 animals. The Cameroonian government had confiscated more than 8 tonnes of pangolin scales since 2013. This conservation strategy is similar to the increasingly common destroying confiscated ivory to deter poaching and generate public outrage or action.
