A SINGLE pangolin is said to consume up to 70 million ants and termites a year. That’s about 191,780 insects per day! Pangolins [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] are natural pest controllers and save both forest trees and agricultural crops from this insect pestilence. One pangolin can protect an area as large as 31 football fields (41 acres) from termite destruction. They are the cheapest and most efficient termite exterminators.
These most endangered mammals are also fantastic tillers of the soil. They burrow underground for shelter and to excavate ant and termite nests for food. This is like ploughing the soil where soil is mixed and aerated and it improves the nutrient quality of the soil and aids in the decomposition cycle.
Abandoned pangolin burrows serve as nests for other animals in the forest, increasing biodiversity. In short, pangolins are the sentinels of the forest. They maintain a delicate balance of ecosystem. Without our forests, climate change will be inevitable.
Yet, these magnificent scaly, shy mammals are indiscriminately poached and sold in black markets. [/ihc-hide-content]
