The Return of the Giant Pangolin to Senegal – MonitorExpresso.com

World. In a surprising finding, the scientific community has witnessed the reappearance of the scaly anteater, also known as the giant pangolin, in Senegal after more than two decades of absence. The sighting of this mammal, which was believed to be extinct in the region since 1999, was made by a team of researchers from Panthera Senegal, renewing hopes for the conservation of the species. The discovery was made possible by a camera trap study carried out between February and May 2023 in Niokolo-Koba National Park, a protected area declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This finding is especially relevant in a context where pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, due to the high demand for their meat and scales in traditional medicine. The researchers emphasize that raising awareness of the persistence of these fascinating animals in places where they were thought to be extinct could significantly improve their chances of survival. They also highlighted the crucial importance of protected areas such as Niokolo-Koba National Park, not only for their rich biodiversity, but also for their vital role as a refuge for endangered species.

Original source in Spanish