The White Bellied Pangolin is a nocturnal, shy, toothless anteater
It is estimated that more than one million pangolins were illegally traded between 2007 and 2017, making them officially the most trafficked mammals in the world.
In Africa, pangolins are traditionally hunted as bushmeat. In Asia, they are mostly traded for their scales, which are harvested, dried, and then ground into unproven traditional medicines. In much of East Asia, pangolin meat has now become a popular statement of wealth, but local species have already been hunted to the brink of extinction. In recent years, Chinese companies and Chinese labourers have been building Africa’s newest roads and railways. This developing infrastructure cuts through pangolin habitat, giving the Asian market access to the more numerous pangolins of rural Africa, where their local value has accordingly soared and their populations have plummeted. Each pangolin eats about two hundred thousand insects per day, and farms and forests alike will be hurt by their decline.
This image was taken at the Pangolin Conservation Trust, based in the USA, it is extremely difficult to breed the pangolin in captivity although this program has been one of the few successes.
Equipment used:
Satellite Evolution Mini, Move 1200 Kit diffuser with 1/3 silk in front of Evolution, Ring Flash, 100mm macro – Canon 5DS – ISO 400 – F/18
With this imagery I hope to tell the story of animals that find themselves the edge of extinction.
more of Tim Flach
Website: www.timflach.com
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Twitter: @timflach
