Pangolins practically do not breed in captivity, so this is a real stroke of luck.
The zoo in Czech Prague reported the good news that a pair of pangolins had a baby. This is the first such case in Europe. The news appeared on the zoo’s Facebook page.
The baby pangolin was born on February 2, but the zoo was worried that the cub would not survive, as he was losing weight, and his mother, Ran Hou Tang, did not have enough milk. But the zoo workers consulted with specialists from Taiwan and began to feed the pangolin with cat’s milk, and the mother’s body was specially stimulated.
The pangolin was shown to the public and told that it doesn’t have a name yet. But they call him “Bump” because the female resembles a small spruce cone.
“We have overcome only the first hurdle, but others are waiting for us,” said zoo director Miroslav Bobek.
At birth, the pangolin weighed only 135 grams. Adults can weigh up to 15 kilograms.
Bumpy’s parents: male Guo Baoyi female Ran Hou Tang come from the Taipei Zoo, a leading mammal nursery. Chinese pangolins are found in southern China and southeast Asia. It is one of four pangolin species found in Asia, with four more found in Africa.
Pangolins are hunted for their meat and scales, which are credited with medicinal properties, which is not true. In medieval India, armor was made from pangolin scales.
adult pangolin
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Photo: Facebook Prague Zoo
Pangolins do not tolerate captivity well and practically do not breed in zoos, moreover, they require a special diet of drone larvae.
The first pangolins appeared 66 million years ago during the Paleogene period. They are compared to anteaters and armadillos, as they feed on ants and can curl up into a ball. But their origin is unclear.
Recall that Focus previously wrote about the strange and exotic cuisine of Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic began. As it turned out, pangolin meat is sold for $ 350 per kilogram. But in China, pangolin meat lovers are fighting: for the destruction of a rare animal, it is necessary from 10 years in prison. At the same time, severe punishment awaits not only poachers and sellers, but also buyers of meat and scales.
