Click on the link below to view the video footage.
https://www.facebook.com/596333844/videos/14382249068581522
Lena Chow observed a bigger pangolin trying to unfurl a smaller pangolin in a flowing ditch. The attacking pangolin was determined and relentless in its attempt to attack the soft underside of the victim. In this short video, the genders of the two animals and early events leading to this attack are unknown.
BESGroup reached out to Dr Norman Lim T-Lon, Senior Lecturer at National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University for help to elucidate this strange observation. Dr Lim studied the Sunda pangolins but admits that not much is known of them, especially their social structure and related behaviours. I quote Dr Lim’s conjecture:
“But looking at its larger size, the more active pangolin is likely to be a male. With that, it could either be messing around with a smaller male (territorial disputes, perhaps) or a female.”
Citizen scientists who spot and document unknown behaviours of pangolins in nature can reach out to Dr Lim and BESGroup to archive and build up a body of knowledge about these elusive nocturnal creatures. Pangolins are critically endangered due to poaching to meet international demand for their scales (actually fused hairs) in traditional medicines. But pangolins play important ecological roles in forests as they feed on ants and termites; and loosen soils during their feeding episodes, thus aerating the grounds in which the forest trees thrive.
In Singapore, pangolins have been wondering onto roads at night, unfortunately ending up as road kills. Some species have long gestation periods and give birth to one or two offspring annually. Their low fertility rate is a contributory factor to their low population numbers. Pangolins are critically endangered worldwide and are protected in Singapore.
BESGroup thanks Lena Chow for sharing her video and Dr Norman Lim T-Lon for his expert help in understanding these elusive creatures.
References:
- Singapore Pangolin Work Group https://singaporepangolinwg.wordpress.com/learn-more/
- nparks advisory on pangolins https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/dos-and-donts/animal-advisories/pangolins
- The pangolin and the dark world of trafficking https://www.rage.com.my/pangolin/
- NIH National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology information. Specific mating behavior of Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) in captivity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37237089/#:~:text=During%20mating%2C%20males%20hugged%20females,a%20preference%20for%20mating%20times.
