This might be a first in Hawaii: a party for an honoree that few of the guests have heard of before.
“Pangolins aren’t found in Hawaii,” said Cassandra Loh, vice president and board member of the Wild Aloha Foundation, the nonprofit organi- zation hosting the upcoming Pangolin Party to celebrate the scaly mammal.
“They are an endangered species. The last remaining populations are in Asia and Africa, and they hold the dubious distinction of being the most heavily trafficked mammal on Earth. Its meat is considered a delicacy and its scales are used for medicinal purposes worldwide, including the United States, even though those parts have been shown to be of no medicinal value to humans,” Loh said.
Loh and fellow Punahou graduates Maile Miller and Pua Pakele and Cabot created the foundation in June 2018 to raise awareness about animals whose numbers are dwindling from being hunted, poached, traded and trafficked. They envision such endangered species thriving in their natural habitats free from the threat of humans.
IF YOU GO: PANGOLIN PARTY
>> When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 16
>> Where: Hakipu‘u Education Center, Kualoa Private Nature Reserve, 49-139 Kamehameha Highway, across street from Coral Kingdom restaurant and gift shop. Look for balloons and Pangolin Party sign. Free parking onsite; do not park in main Kualoa lot.
>> Cost: $25, $15 for ages 3-12, keiki under 3 free. Includes breakfast and nonalcoholic beverages; $10 more for beer and mimosas.
>> Phone: 429-0447
>> Email: info@wildalohafoundation.org
>> Website: wildalohafoundation.org
>> Notes: Wear covered shoes and clothing that can get dirty.
“Many animals are being killed just because, for example, there’s a market for pangolin ‘cures’ for ailments, cultural dishes like shark fin soup and pretty vases made of rhinoceros horn,” Loh said. “We believe education is of paramount importance; it can affect the choices consumers make.”
According to Loh, Hawaii ranks third in the nation for the trafficking of wildlife parts, after Los Angeles and New York. The three women formed the foundation to help change that. None holds a degree in biology, zoology, veterinary medicine or a related field; they describe themselves simply as avid animal lovers committed to saving endangered wildlife from extinction.
“WAF focuses on endangered wildlife because they are the ones with the ticking clock,” Loh said. “Pangolins are a perfect example. They don’t survive well in captivity, and because of that you won’t see them in a zoo. There’s a real sense of urgency; once their populations in the wild are gone, they will never come back. As the saying goes, ‘Extinction is forever.’”
Before the foundation was launched, no local organization was devoting attention or resources to endangered species outside of Hawaii. The three women recognized that was a critical niche they could fill.
ABOUT PANGOLINS
>> The nocturnal animals known as “scaly anteaters” are 12 to 30 inches long.
>> The mammals have no teeth and mainly eat ants and termites.
>> They’re covered with 900 to 1,000 scales made of keratin, the same material in human fingernails and rhinoceros horns.
>> The name “pangolin” is derived from the Malay word pengguling, which means “one who rolls up.” The animal’s main defense mechanism is to roll up into a tight ball. This is effective against natural predators, but makes it an easy target for poachers.
>> Eight pangolin species are left — four African and four Asian. The Malayan and Chinese pangolin are critically endangered. The other six species are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.
>> About 100,000 pangolins are trafficked to China and Vietnam every year — in the last decade, more than 1 million have been killed for their meat and scales. On average, a pangolin is taken from the wild every 5 minutes, according to the International Union.
Source: wildalohafoundation.org
“For many years, we had been donating individually to groups that champion animal rights,” Loh said. “Then we realized we could accomplish much more by banding together and starting a nonprofit that puts on community events to support organizations working on the front lines to protect endangered wildlife.”
Feb. 16 is World Pangolin Day, and proceeds from the foundation’s Pangolin Party will benefit the Oceanside, Calif.-based Global Conservation Force (globalconservationforce.org), which spearheads anti-poaching campaigns in the U.S. and abroad.
Kualoa Private Nature Reserve’s Hakipu‘u Education Center will be the scene of a host of kid-friendly diversions, including games, crafts, a petting zoo and a 15-minute video about pangolins and their plight.
Education is a key component of the party. In addition to the video, pangolin posters will be displayed and staffers at each activity station will “talk story” about pangolins. Coloring sheets will include pangolin facts along with illustrations, and kids can use paper plates, sand, crayons, stickers and stencils to create a take-home art piece depicting the animal in its environment.
“Learning about all the terrible things that are happening to pangolins and other endangered animals throughout the world is devastating, but hope drives us to continue our efforts to educate people,” Loh said. “Knowledge is empowering, and there’s strength in numbers. The more people we can inspire to join the Wild Aloha Foundation’s cause and act instead of sitting idly by, the brighter the future looks. Change can happen; working together toward a common goal, we can make a difference.”
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
