At midday, the rangers of Burunge WMA spotted the bizarre creature bumbling over the plains — a pangolin. It’s also called a scaly anteater, a trenggiling, and, in jest, a walking pinecone or artichoke.
So rarely seen, the pangolin is believed to be sacred by peoples throughout the world. Unfortunately, this has led to rampant poaching of the animal for its meat and scales, which are made of the same substance, keratin, as human fingernails. The eight species of pangolin spread across Africa and Asia range from vulnerable to critically endangered.
In East Africa, however, the Maasai revere the ground pangolin; it’s a grave taboo to kill one. Anyone so fortunate as to spot a pangolin anticipates that they will become rich, and afterwards will even build a little boma, or homestead, for the creature and offer it food.
Nevertheless, when the Burunge WMA rangers came across a pangolin, they acted fast. After all, it’s not only Maasai who live in the area; furthermore, as traveling along roadside, the mystical Smutsia temminckiiremained acutely exposed.
Thus, the Burunge team safely transported the pangolin into deep within Tarangire National Park, saving her for the day. Maybe the rangers will run into a pot of gold next week.
Everyone in the village hoping to get a glimpse of the good luck pangolin
