Mama pangolin spotted in S'pore with baby clinging on to its tail during nighttime stroll

Aww.

Karen Lui | August 30, 2021, 01:57 PM

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A passer-by in Singapore had stumbled upon a pangolin duo as he was returning home.

One Mark Stoop captured a video of the encounter and shared it to Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Aug. 28, saying that the pangolin family was loitering "on the grass next to [his] house".

He initially assumed the creature that was approaching him was a rat or a wild boar piglet, his caption stated.

However, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was not one but two Sunda pangolins. The little one was also seen clinging to its parent's tail as they retreated away from him.

Stoop also told Mothership that he believes it's a pangolin mother with her kid.

Video by Mark Stoop.

Describing it as "an absolute once in a lifetime encounter", other netizens also left comments agreeing that he was lucky to catch such a rare sight.

Stoop has chosen not to disclose the actual location, as it is highly discouraged to share the location of a pangolin sighting. This is to avoid drawing the unwanted attention of poachers.

You can see his full video here.

Pangolins in Singapore

Sunda pangolins are native to Singapore and they still reside in local forests such as the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Members of the public should observe them quietly from a distance.

Under the Wildlife Act, it is illegal to remove wild animals, including pangolins, from the wild.

While poachers remain a threat, roadkill poses a major danger to the Sunda pangolins in Singapore.

As Singaporean pangolins adapt to urbanisation and development, they are frequently seen in human-populated areas, especially where there is natural vegetation in close vicinity.

Crossing roads adjacent to forested areas and green spaces often lead to accidents with vehicles resulting in roadkill, especially along high-speed carriageways.

What to do when you encounter a pangolin

While pangolins are shy and will not attack humans, people are advised to leave pangolins alone instead of attempting to touch, chase, or corner them, which can frighten them.

If you encounter a pangolin that appears to be in any danger, e.g. if they are found in the middle of a busy road, you can contact NParks or ACRES.

If you witness any illegal trading or poaching, you should take photo or video evidence of the traps, snares, nets, trapped animals, poachers, and/or the vehicle license plate number.

You can also call NParks' hotline at 1800-471-7300 or contact the local police.

Click here for more information on what to do if you encounter any poaching activities.

More information on pangolins

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sunda pangolins are critically endangered animals.

Known as the world's most trafficked mammals, pangolins in Southeast Asia are mainly threatened by illegal poaching, driven by demand for their scales, meat and skin.

The population dwindles so quickly that the pangolins cannot reproduce fast enough to compensate for the loss as they only give birth to one to two offspring each year.

A study published in April found that the Chinese pangolin "still exists in parts of China", demonstrating "reproductive capacity". However, they remain "scarce in many areas of mainland China where they used to occur naturally".

China has upgraded the protection level of the Chinese pangolin from second class to first class since June 2020 to further protect the species, putting them on the same protection level as the giant panda. They also removed pangolin parts from its official list of traditional medicines in the same month.

You can find out more about Sunda pangolins here.

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In 2018, there was a similar sighting of a parent-offspring pair at the Singapore zoo.

Top photos by Mark Stoop.