‘Incredibly lucky’: S’pore photographer rushes over in Grab to see endangered pangolin sleeping in tree

Rare daytime pangolin sighting causes photographer to rush over in a Grab, he finds it sleeping

When a Singapore photographer heard about a rare daytime pangolin sighting on Saturday (14 March), he immediately booked a Grab and rushed to the location.

His gamble paid off and he found the pangolin sleeping in a tree, perfectly still for photographs.

Spends minutes admiring pangolin before setting up camera

According to 45-year-old IT professional and wildlife photography hobbyist Prashanta Kumar Mohanty, he first heard about the pangolin sighting from another photographer at around 5.30pm that day.

Mr Prashanta immediately dropped what he was doing and booked a Grab to the location he had been told about.

“Encountering such a rare animal always fills me with excitement,” he told MS News.

He arrived at around 6.15pm and quickly found his ‘target’. The nocturnal pangolin was sleeping in a tree during the day, with its tail wrapped around a trunk.

“When I reached the spot and saw the pangolin in the tree, I spent the first few minutes simply admiring the moment before even setting up my camera,” he said.

The dozing pangolin had drawn a small crowd, with around 10 others watching alongside Mr Prashanta.

He told MS News that it occasionally woke when ants disturbed it, shifting its position before drifting back to sleep.

Photographer compares daytime pangolin sighting to discovering treasure

Mr Prashanta said the first time he ever saw a pangolin was during a night walk around two years ago.

Spotting one again, this time in daylight, made the experience even more special.

“Seeing it felt no less than discovering a treasure,” he said.

Pangolins are nocturnal, shy, and critically endangered, which makes daytime sightings rare.

They are also the most trafficked mammal in the world and face threats from traffic in Singapore.

Their rarity and adorable looks make them popular among local wildlife enthusiasts, and some have even suggested that pangolins should be Singapore’s national animal.

Also read: Netizens debate which native wildlife should be S’pore’s national animal, ‘uwu bird’ among suggestions

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Featured image adapted from Prashanta Kumar Mohanty on Facebook.