Since pangolins are a critically endangered species, it is rare for a Singaporean to spot one.
On 20 Feb, a man chanced upon a pangolin in Sembawang Park. However, he was saddened when he realised it was dead.
Devastated, he posted the sighting to the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group and learnt that he could report the case to the Singapore Pangolin Working Group instead.
On the morning of 20 Feb, Teo Ting Guan posted a photo of a dead pangolin on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group.
He told MS News that he was hiking along Sembawang Road when he saw the carcass in a grass patch at Sembawang Park.
Teo said he was initially excited when he spotted the creature from afar as he had always wanted to see a pangolin in real life.
However, upon further inspection, he was saddened to find that it was dead.
He deduced the pangolin could have injured itself after emerging from the forest, adding that the greenery in the area was being cleared to make way for development.
His wife reported the sighting to ACRES immediately.
ACRES is an animal welfare charity that seeks to work with the Singaporean community to tackle animal welfare issues. If anyone spots a wild animal in distress, they can call the ACRES hotline at 97837782 for assistance.
Many advised Teo to contact the Singapore Pangolin Working Group in the comments section so that the organisation can use the pangolin as a data point for conservation research.
This is vital because pangolins are an endangered species.
People should report sightings of Pangolins to their Record a Pangolin page, regardless of the animal’s living status.
On their website, the group also encouraged such sightings to be reported to ACRES and National Parks Board (NParks) for assistance.
Another user shared their insight and observation of the pangolin carcass. According to them, this unfortunate incident was unlikely to be an act of poaching since its scales are still intact.
As Singapore continues developing, it is important that we do not ignore the wildlife we coexist with.
Even though animal welfare groups exist, we also need to do our part to help report incidents to them whenever necessary.
We hope that the next time we hear about a pangolin, it would be good news instead.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image courtesy of Teo Ting Guan.
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