Image of the Day

Because pangolins are considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam, and because their scales are thought to have medicinal properties, “all four Asian species of pangolin are currently listed as endangered or critically endangered,” according to Ian Britton, who works in animal rescue in Namibia for REST Namibia and runs the Pangolin & Co. Instagram. Furthermore, he warns that the four African pangolin species “are rapidly moving in that direction” (meaning toward critically endangered). With their distinct appearance and keratin scales—yes, the same keratin that people pay big bucks for at the hair salon—unfortunate it’s that the pangolin is the world’s most trafficked animal.