Chinese Pangolin (M. pentadactyla) Subfamily Maninae - Subgenus Manis

Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a nocturnal animal specialized in eating ants and termites with head-to-body length ranging from 50 to 90 cm. Made of agglutinated hair, the scales have razor-sharp edges for defense against predators. When threatened, the pangolin curls up into a ball and raises its scales.
The pangolin is considered a culinary delicacy. Its scales, blood and flesh are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for curing cancer, reducing swelling, promoting blood circulation and stimulating lactation in breast-feeding women amongst other uses. Because of the high demand for above purposes, all eight species of pangolin face extinction and have been placed on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Hong Kong was one of the first jurisdictions to protect the species by passing the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance in 1936, but the ordinance was difficult to enforce until protection laws were also adopted and enforced in neighboring countries. Illegal trafficking continues to be rampant in Asian and African countries even recently with an estimated 105,410-210,820 animals illegally traded from August 2011 to October 2013.