Looming Extinction of Asian Toothless Ant Eaters Could Spell Disaster for Regional Ecosystems

The ecosystems of our planet are very carefully balanced schemes, and sometimes the role of a single species is so important that its extinction can bring widespread destruction to that system.

This is the fear currently gripping governments and ecological groups in Asia as the four pangolin toothless anteater species of the continent move near extinction because of rampant pouching due to insufficient multi-national legislation.

“Pangolins and their ecological role have been overlooked despite their potential ability to control termites and ants, which may save us millions of dollar per year in pest destruction.

“A pangolin of three kilograms can consume up to 300-400 grams of termites per feeding,” said Azrina Abdullah, regional director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, a wildlife trade monitoring network, which is a joint program of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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