BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE – The beautiful and rare wonders of Eswatini are continuing to be unveiled!
One of the most intriguing and endangered species in the world, pangolins, have been confirmed to exist in the country. Pangolins are prevalent in Asian countries, including India, Philippine and China; however, they have been confirmed to now exist in some African countries, including Eswatini.
Just like white rhinos, pangolins rose to fame through their high value in the black market- making them an endangered species. A whole pangolin is priced around US$1 000 (E17 078).
According to Wild Life in Eswatini, the type of pangolins that are found in the country are called Temminck’s pangolin, which is in the Ground pangolin family. They are one of four species of pangolins which can be found in Africa and the only one in Southern and Eastern Africa. The animal found in the country is named after a Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.
Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC) Senior Ecologist Sandile Gumedze confirmed that pangolins did exist in Eswatini, however, stating that they were critically endangered as they were significantly decreasing in numbers.
Gumedze said the animals were endangered as they were being poached.
“Pangolins are believed to have work wonders medicine and this has encouraged the poaching of them among healers,” said Gumedze.
When asked when pangolins were discovered in the country, he said in the 1970s, when the environment was still in its natural state.
“Today, it would be very hard for a liSwati to spot a pangolin because they are being poached and the environment is changing,” explained the senior ecologist.
Biology Professor Thembalilahlwa Mahlaba also confirmed that pangolins existed in Eswatini, however, highlighting that they were very hard to spot.
“One would have to search for them for hours, days, and sometimes weeks, to find just one pangolin. They have become very rare- making them a highly endangered species.
“The animals are mainly used by traditional healers to make their medicine, making them endangered. Also, in the international market, they are sold at very high prices, making their existence highly threatened,” commented the professor. When asked where pangolins would be found in the country, Mahlaba said they would be mainly found in the Lubombo and Middleveld region, where there is high number of termites as they feed on them. He, however, highlighted that that did not mean they did not exist in the Highveld region.
