Strange Encounters ~ This Time Pangolin in Chennai

In Triplicane as in some other areas, people share the road with bovines roaming freely.  Besides the cattle, one encounters stray dogs, cats, goats, horses  – rarely monkeys, donkeys, elephants ….. not the one of its kind encountered by a resident in Iyyappanthangal recently.  Though home to Asia, this scaly mammal is rare to be seen – bigger than the  size of a house cat, that’s so bizarre it almost forces your brain to flip through many images to describe it properly.    It is  elusive, nocturnal, rarely appreciated and barely understood. When it's frightened, it actually curls up into a roly-poly ball ~ and could go extinct before most people realize it exists.   Unlike the rhino or the elephant, this shy, nocturnal creature enjoys few international safeguards.  Sometime back in China’s Guangdong province, a van carrying close to 1000 carcass was stopped. . The bust was among the biggest ever recorded in China, the world’s largest market for the creature.  Earlier, Hong Kong customs intercepted a shipment from South Africa, labeled “plastic pet,” that turned out to be 1,000 kg of _______ scales — worth $645,000 on the black market. It is the ‘Pangolin’ (also referred to as a scaly anteater) a mammal of the order Pholidota.  A pangolin has large keratin scales covering its skin, and is the only known mammal with this adaptation. It is found naturally in tropical regions throughout Africa and Asia. The name pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling, meaning "something that rolls up".  The physical appearance of a pangolin is marked by large, hardened, overlapping plate-like scales. It can curl up into a ball when threatened, with its overlapping scales acting as armour and its face tucked under its tail. The scales are sharp, providing extra defense. The front claws are so long they are unsuited for walking.  Pangolins can also emit a noxious-smelling acid from glands similar to the spray of a skunk.  Pangolins are insectivorous. The bulk of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae.  Pangolins have a very poor sense of vision, and therefore rely heavily on smell and hearing. TOI reports that a Pangolin  weighing 10kg was rescued from a garden near Dhanalaxmi Nagar in Iyyapanthangal, near Porur,  and shifted to the veterinary hospital in Vandalur zoo. The animal is believed to have strayed into the residential area from the nearby forest. It was covered in slime when a few residents spotted it.  They locked the gate of the compound  and then informed the authorities. Senior officials at Vandalur zoo said that the animal is under observation and apart from minor lacerations on its outer scales, is healthy . A 61-yearold retired government official and the local village panchayat member, spotted the animal entering the garden of a bungalow and raised alarm. The residents did not harm the animal and locked the main gate till Blue Cross volunteers arrived at the spot. Pagolin is listed as an endangered mammal under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Here is a photo of a pangolin leaving a lion clueless by rolling itself into a ball.  In the incident reported in Daily Mail, a pride of lions found that their claws and teeth were no match for the pangolin,  in an unusual encounter, where the pangolin escaped unhurt.  With regards – S. Sampathkumar 29^th Jan 2015.