More Sunda pangolins venturing out of Singapore forests, but many wind up dead or in need of rescue

The Sunda pangolin is critically endangered globally as it is poached for its meat and scales. - Photo: Marcus Chua

SINGAPORE: They are one of Singapore’s rarest animals, favouring forested areas and moving around only under the cloak of night. But Sunda pangolins have been spotted in unusual places in recent years, including a busy university campus and even the streets of Katong.

Now, a first-of-its-kind study has shown that these incidents do not just make up the occasional sighting. There has indeed been an upward trend of this critically endangered mammal venturing out of the Republic’s forests over the years – and winding up in need of rescue or as roadkill.