George Town New Straits Times 22 Jul 13;
VANISHING ANIMAL: Much has been told about 'Sang Kancil', 'Si Belang' and 'Pak Belalai'. But little is known about 'Mat Tenggiling', the endangered anteater. Kenny Goh talks to Dr Chong Ju Lian, who hopes her work at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu can prevent it from going the way of the dodo
THE pangolin is a solitary, nocturnal mammal found only in Asia and Africa.
Its upper body is uniquely composed of thick, sharp scales to protect it from tigers, pythons and leopards. The scales are made of keratin, the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails.
It has a long, sticky tongue to lick up food, and the powerful front claws on its short, stubby legs are used to break open termite and ant nests, climb trees and burrow deep into the ground.
The animal has evolved into eight species.
The thick-tailed pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Philippine pangolin (M. culionensis), Malayan or Sunda pangolin (M. javanica), and Chinese pangolin (M. pentadactyla) are found in Asia.
The Malayan (Sunda) and Chinese pangolins are severely endangered because of illegal trade, habitat loss and a low birth rate.
The natives of Africa comprise the African white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantae), Temminck's ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) and black-bellied pangolin (Uromanis tetradactyla).
Pangolins reach sexual maturity after two years and can give birth up to two offspring per season. The babies weigh around 450g and have soft scales that harden as they grow.
They hitch a ride on their mother's tail for three months and after weaning, will be left on their own.
Dr Chong Ju Lian, when watching a video of a young pangolin being released into the wild, said she wasn't too optimistic about its newfound freedom.
"It's probably going to end up stewing in a pot somewhere later," she says with a sense of resignation.
Chong graduated in 2001 with first class honours in zoology. She went on to do her PhD in plant genetics but did not pursue the subject after finishing her doctorate in 2007.
This is because her passion lies in animal research and the opportunity to pursue her interest came after she started working as a lecturer in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) the same year.
In 2008, she was given a RM105,000 grant by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to carry out her pangolin research.
Her team at UMT is acknowledged by the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's largest conservation group.
She also has a licence from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to capture the Malayan pangolin in Peninsular Malaysia for research.
Chong said her interest to study pangolins started between 2006 and 2007, when she was reading about large seizures of the animal from illicit wildlife traders.
She could not find much data about pangolins in the country and the references she came across were compiled during the colonial era.
Current data on pangolins in Southeast Asia is collected by foreign research teams, and Chong realised that this is where she could contribute to conserve an endangered fauna by channelling her interest in biodiversity and genetics into the study of pangolins in Malaysia.
"Besides, they also look so cute," Chong says.
"They tend to roll up into a scaly, armoured ball as a self-defence mechanism. That's why they are easily caught by hunters.
"But they are actually agile and can dart around pretty fast. Their scales are sharp and can cause cuts, if you are not careful."
Chong conducts her research in the forests and oil palm estates of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, with the help of Perhilitan and the Orang Asli.
She has surveyed the different habitats of pangolins, observed how the Orang Asli hunt the animals and even studied the parasitic ticks that are found on them.
Although the ticks are not a serious threat to the species, the results of her team's study were novel enough to be published recently in a high-profile science journal.
Beginning 2010, over 22 months, Chong embarked on expeditions to Pos Pulat, an Orang Asli village in Kelantan, the Sungai Berua forest (linked to Taman Negara in Terengganu) and the Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang.
A total of 122 dens were found. In the forests of Krau and Sungai Berua, the dens were mostly inside dead tree trunks because of the abundance of termites.
In Pos Pulat, where jungles had been cleared to plant oil palm, the animals were found living inside boulder cavities.
This shows that the degradation of forest habitats can significantly influence the pangolins' choice of dens.
Within the same period, 44 Orang Asli hunters in Gua Musang and Hulu Terengganu were also interviewed. The Orang Asli say they usually hunt in groups of two or more. They track the pangolins to their dens by looking for signs such as fresh claw marks or the musky odour secreted by the animals.
Once the presence of a pangolin is detected, the hunters will lay a snare, such as a net or wire mesh, near or inside the den. When the pangolin tries to enter, its legs will become entangled and it is easily retrieved.
The pangolin trade is lucrative, with prices hovering between RM50 and RM300 per kg, depending on the season. A male pangolin can reach 14kg whereas a female is smaller.
With the fieldwork surveys completed, Chong is conducting DNA studies where she plans to compile a genetic profile of pangolin populations nationwide.
The data can be used for conservation work and breeding programmes.
