After a dozen painstaking trips, however, researchers found only a handful of pangolins, including a nursing baby, juveniles and pregnant ones. “There are anecdotal records that pangolins are or were generally more abundant in the north compared to the south of Palawan,” she noted. ADVERTISEMENTWhat is clear in the recent study, however, was that forest conditions translated to whether pangolins would be present in particular sites. Stronger enforcement, meanwhile, can also help reduce the pressure on the already fragile pangolin population, which is threatened by illegal wildlife trade. Both buyers and hunters can come from as far as Puerto Princesa City and other northern towns in Palawan.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 17, 2020 20:37 UTC