World Pangolin Day 2023: The third Saturday in February, which occurs on February 18 this year, is designated as World Pangolin Day. It is a day to remember and celebrate pangolins, raise awareness, and fight against global pangolin capture in Africa and Asia. This year’s Pangolin Day will be its 12th edition. An estimated one million of these magnificent creatures have been and continue to be harvested from the wild in African and Asian nations to meet the enormous demand for their scale, skin, blood, and even foetuses, which are believed to have multiple purposes in fashion, traditional medicine, and cookery.
February 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
World Pangolin Day 2023: Significance
World Pangolin Day gives us a chance to raise awareness about these remarkable animals and the dangers they face. By getting involved, we can help protect pangolins by donating to conservation efforts, learning more about their habitats, and advocating for better protection policies. Let’s use this World Pangolin Day as a way to come together in support of these amazing creatures!
What is a Pangolin?
The only member of the family Manidae and a member of the order Pholidota, the pangolin is a mammal.Pangolins are typically covered in tough scales made of keratin, which protect them from predators. They are found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia.
Pangolins are nocturnal animals that spend most of their time in trees, eating ants and termites. They have long tongues that they use to lick up their prey. They are also proficient swimmers. When threatened, pangolins can curl up into a tight ball, protecting their scales and vulnerable body parts.
Some facts about Pangolin:
- Pangolins are the only mammal to be covered in scales.
- To protect themselves, they curl into balls like hedgehogs.
- Their name comes from the Malay word ‘pengguling’ meaning ‘something that rolls up’.
- They are the most smuggled mammal in the world because people want their meat and scales.
- A pangolin’s tongue can be longer than its body when fully extended is can be 40 cm long!
