Rescue, rehabilitation and release of Sunda pangolins in Singapore

Summary

The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is critically endangered and heavily trafficked for its meat and scales, and in Singapore road strikes are its main threat as forest habitat shrinks. In 2014 the Singapore Pangolin Working Group, a coalition of wildlife agencies, zoos and NGOs, made pangolin rescue, rehabilitation and release a conservation priority. A 24 hour rescue hotline run by ACRES responds to calls within an hour. Animals judged fit are translocated directly, while injured or underweight pangolins go to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore veterinary centre, typically recovering within one to two days unless young enough to need hand rearing over several months. Post release monitoring began in 2016, tagging nine pangolins by drilling small holes in a hind scale to attach a radio tag, since pangolins' digging and climbing habits make collars and backpacks impractical. Early VHF tags proved too heavy for juveniles and were often dislodged, so only larger sub-adults and adults could be tracked reliably. One large male was tracked, lost, recaptured four months later in good health, then tracked again after a further release. The project is judged partially successful. Only two of nine tagged pangolins were ever recaptured, which could mean either that pangolins avoid recapture once released or that mortality is high, and the team is moving toward lighter GPS tags to get a clearer answer.