In February, Dr. Mark Ofua jumped in the car after learning that a young white-bellied pangolin in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria, required his assistance.
Neal was born into a family of bushmeat dealers, and he couldn’t have survived without Ofua’s help.
“I quickly drove the 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the marketplace because I realized his chances were already slim,” Ofua told The Dodo. “He was born to a mother weakened by the stress of captivity, with no food or water for days, even weeks. He was already hypoglycemic and cold when I found him.”
“The traders were most willing to hand him over to me because he was only a burden to them,” he added.
Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked animal, prized for their meat and unique scales. The white-bellied pangolin, also known as the tree pangolin, is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Back at SaintMarks Animal Hospital and Shelter, Ofua warmed Neal up and started him on formula to build up his strength. Had Neal been raised in the wild, the tiny pangolin would’ve spent his days riding around on his mother’s tail as she foraged for ants and termites.
Instead, he’s found comfort with his kind caregivers.
“He is a very playful lad who is still learning to ‘pangolin,’” Ofua said. “He very much likes to seek out his caregivers and nuzzle on them for comfort. He recognizes very easily his feeding blanket and bottle as he very much loves his milk!”
While pangolins are typically shy and secretive, Neal loves to play with his caregivers and give them “baths” with his long, muscular tongue. This is the first step in learning how to use his special tongue to forage for ants in the forest.
When he is old enough and capable of supporting himself appropriately, I intend to release him to the SaintMarks pangolin rehabilitation facility, Ofua added. He should spend the remainder of his days at the facility, which is located in a forest that is protected.
The construction of a “pangolorum,” the first of its sort in West Africa, was sponsored by WildAid, an organization dedicated to lowering worldwide demand for wildlife goods and boosting local support for conservation initiatives. When Neal is ready, this location will be used as a soft release site for pangolins that have been rescued and released back into the wild.
Ofua hopes that one day, pangolins like Neal will be able to live in the wild in peace. But there’s still a long way to go.
“To better protect them, we must embark on a full-scale educational program for the entire community on the need to protect [pangolins], while encouraging the government to step up to the duty of protecting these endangered species,” Ofua said.
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