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Crop failure, drought and extreme weather is pushing families to look for income outside of their normal routes, shares Dr. Mark Ofua, a wildlife veterinarian and the founder of the Pangolin Nigeria Trust. Tune in to understand the unsettling drivers behind climate, wildlife conservation and economics–and how this is impacting the rare and magical Pangolins.

Created by TEDxLondon
Executive produced by Josie Colter
Produced by Ben Beheshty
Curated by Deesha Chandra
Hosted by Maryam Pasha and Ben Hurst
Communications by Tara Cooper and Issey Gladston

00:00 Introduction
00:40 The plight of pangolins
01:28 Unique features of pangolins
02:23 The impact of illegal wildlife trade
04:14 Climate change and Its effects
08:48 Call to action for conservation
09:56 Conclusion

Transcript

[00:00:00] Introduction

[00:00:00] Maryam Pasha: Welcome to Climate Quickies, bite-sized nuggets of Climate Goodness from our TEDx London experts in under five minutes

[00:00:08] Ben Hurst: In this week’s climate, curious, we are talking about a little known impact of an increasingly warming planet. The livelihood of Pangolins Pangolins, sometimes described as scaly anti teeters are under threat due to the impact that crop failure and drought is having on people’s livelihood.

[00:00:25] Ben Hurst: Tune in to understand the unsettling drivers behind climate, [00:00:30] wildlife conservation, and local economics on why pangolins need a cooler planning. Here’s Dr. Mark Afua. Stay curious.

[00:00:40] The plight of pangolins

[00:00:40] Dr. Mark Ofua: My name is Dr. Mark Ofua. I, um, a wildlife conservationist and, uh, pangolin rehabilitation experts. And I am also the rep for Wild Africa here in Nigeria.

[00:00:55] Dr. Mark Ofua: Pangolins are very wonderful creature. I [00:01:00] remember the first time I met someone for the first time on the Bush Me table. Now I focus on rescuing Pangolins. Now pangolins are animals that are not very much well known by people, and it’s sad to realize that they’re also the most trafficked mammal on earth.

[00:01:18] Dr. Mark Ofua: Yes. This thing that looks like a cross between a dinosaur. And an advoc. And an albertino is a Pangolin.

[00:01:28] Unique features of pangolins

[00:01:28] Dr. Mark Ofua: Now, uh, they have some unique features. First of all, they’re mammals, so they give birth to their younger life and they breastfeed them. But also they are the only mammals that are covered with skills, hard skills made of keratin, covered this mammal.

[00:01:44] Dr. Mark Ofua: They’re also the only mammal with a gizzard. The gizzard is usually a feature of birds. For Pangolins have dessert. They don’t have feed, so the dessert helps them digest their food. So Pangolins are called in two [00:02:00] continents in Asia and then in Africa. There are four species in Asia and the four species in Africa.

[00:02:06] Dr. Mark Ofua: Now the Asians, they believe that the scale of the Pangolin has medicinal values. They believe it cures everything from high blood pressure, hypertension, use it as aphrodisiac, use it pretty much to cure everything.

[00:02:23] The impact of illegal wildlife trade

[00:02:23] Dr. Mark Ofua: And this has, and because it’s in their pharmacopeia, it has put lots of pressure on their pangolins and, um, they are very close to extinction now and this has made them turn their focus to Africa.

[00:02:39] Dr. Mark Ofua: And the pressure is now mounting on African pangolins. This has really puts a demand on our pangolins and it’s driving them towards extinction. Research was done and it was found that the scale contains the same properties as our fingernails and hair, which is keratin, so almost no medicinal values at all.

[00:02:59] Dr. Mark Ofua: [00:03:00] But these have not deterred the the demand for Pangolin, and it goes on on a, you see people going out into the forest to get Pangolin for. Going out to the forest to get pangolins and all that. And, um, this has really driven their numbers to close to extinction.

[00:03:26] Dr. Mark Ofua: The illegal wildlife trade is driven [00:03:30] primarily by creek. Okay. There is this saying that there’s. Nature has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed. So what I found out working is that most of these hunters and bush meat sellers have other jobs they do. So they do this mainly to argument their income.

[00:03:52] Dr. Mark Ofua: That was how it started. But with pressure now being put on, uh, pangolins and uh, the [00:04:00] illegal wildlife trade, you find out that they have now seen that. Trading these animals is now a major morning enter, and then as usual, they want more and they want more, and they want more.

[00:04:14] Climate change and its effects

[00:04:14] Dr. Mark Ofua: In recent times, the pressure has become worse because of the effect of climate change.

[00:04:20] Dr. Mark Ofua: Now we usually are unable to see the big picture and trace the circles, connect the circles, connect the dots, and then see how all these [00:04:30] things are related. But for those of us in the field, we see it ever more and more. So initially when these streets started, we just had the, the hunters were not even going for pangolins.

[00:04:41] Dr. Mark Ofua: Pangolin was a bycatch. You understand? Because these animals are knocked on now. You rally up in the trees and all that. This is a trip Pangolin, and you get to know them by their long tail. They’re going for bigger gain. And then they see a pangolin and carried. But with the pressure that has coming to Pangolin, they now go [00:05:00] deliberately into the forest to look for Pangolin.

[00:05:03] Dr. Mark Ofua: And with the, um, climate change, climate change has caused some on scene, the circumstances on same circumstances that we didn’t prepare for, but we are beginning to see the effects. First of all. Um. Condition of living life has become harder. And usually the people who bear the brunt of it are the people that interface with nature because, um, facilities are poorly developed there.

[00:05:29] Dr. Mark Ofua: [00:05:30] So you have, um, climate effects like, um, flooding, droughts, and with droughts. Right behind is forest fires. You see, uh, forest fires usually. We used to think that it was an act of God or something magical. But we have seen in recent times that um, different things can start a forest fire. Either the farmer working and does not curtail bush burning or, um, glass that concentrates, um, sun and then start a fire.

[00:05:59] Dr. Mark Ofua: So [00:06:00] these things have made living harder and um, poverty. Is on the rise, especially here in Nigeria. So with the effect of climate change and governance, what people are turning to right now is any way they can survive. So you find people who now see, oh, it’s possible for me to catch up to 10 pangolins in a day and I will do well.

[00:06:28] Dr. Mark Ofua: So they turn their [00:06:30] focus. Right now you see people who are now becoming incidental criminal. These are people that weren’t criminals before, but because of the hardship that has been, uh, co-location by climate change, you see them now willingly going out to get this.

[00:06:54] Dr. Mark Ofua: We are facing directly as humans, the direct effect of climate change, [00:07:00] direct effect that the population faces, um, as well as the. Communities that interface with the forest, you know, crop damage. We’re entering the rain season here in Nigeria now, and honestly, we’re holding our breath because last year was horrible.

[00:07:15] Dr. Mark Ofua: We had flooding in areas where there were no flooding before. Farmlands were destroyed. Animals died in their numbers. In fact, it was so bad that, um, the zoo in the community, [00:07:30] in, in the city. Was flooded and you had all the animals in town. Imagine waking up and there’s a lion strolling next to your door.

[00:07:38] Dr. Mark Ofua: You know, it was disastrous. And these things are not abating because really we are not facing the climate change challenge as we should. So instead of abating, they actually are getting worse. So we don’t know the effect this would have. And with the damage to crop, damage to livestock, damage to infrastructure and things getting harder, I mean, the farmer who [00:08:00] was a saint, or the middle man who was trading in crops on farm produce, who now would now look for other ways of survival.

[00:08:09] Dr. Mark Ofua: And if he sees that, oh, pangolins and Pangolin skills is a money error in the black market. They are willing to face the odds. You know, they tell you they have to provide for their family, they have to survive. They’re saying that the world is a global village is most true when you’re talking [00:08:30] about conservation, biodiversity, and climate activity.

[00:08:33] Dr. Mark Ofua: Because what happens in one region affects other regions. So, um, if we lose these iconic animals, if we lose these animals, if they go extinct. It’s going to affect us and what affects me affects you.

[00:08:48] Call to action for conservation

[00:08:48] Dr. Mark Ofua: So my message for everyone really is, um, let’s be more aware of the effect of climate change, learn about conservation activities.

[00:08:57] Dr. Mark Ofua: Find out ways that you can [00:09:00] support conservation activities, either local conservation around you or international conservation. There must be something you can do. Lend the voice. Lend the voice to nature’s cry. Listen, you are a preacher. You are a prophet. You are a speaker for nature. Start asking your government and ask them what are they really doing?

[00:09:20] Dr. Mark Ofua: Not just saying about climate action, about positive action for climate change. Here in Africa, we have the same. We say if your friends [00:09:30] around you are beginning to prosper and do better rest assured it’s going to come to you. Now let me flip that saying if life formed around you are beginning to die off and co extinct, be alarm because it’s going to come to you.

[00:09:45] Dr. Mark Ofua: Land and ear to nature’s cry and speak for nature. Because like they say, nature is a very gentle mother, but when aroused, she can be very terrible.

[00:09:56] Conclusion

[00:09:56] Ben Hurst: Thanks for listening to this quickie.

[00:09:58] Maryam Pasha: This episode was [00:10:00] created by our superstar podcast team at TEDx London. Until next time,

[00:10:04] Ben Hurst: stay curious.