The use of robust ecological data to make evidence-based management decisions for highly threatened species is often limited by data availability, and local ecological knowledge (LEK) is increasingly seen as an important source of information for conservation. Pangolins are now the most heavily trafficked mammals in illegal wildlife trade, and Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) are Critically Endangered, with no recent baseline data available to assess status of pangolin populations in China. We conducted community-based interviews across seven protected areas in Hainan, China, to investigate whether LEK can provide novel insights for pangolin conservation. LEK of pangolins remains high in Hainan (90% of respondents recognise pangolins and can provide supporting information), and pangolins are likely to survive in all protected areas that were surveyed, as evidenced by recent sightings dating from 2013-2015. However, all populations have declined and are now perceived to be of very low abundance (only 34% of respondents consider pangolins to remain locally present, and these respondents all regard pangolins as rare). Illegal hunting continues across this region, with pangolin body parts used locally and sold to outsiders.Pangolins are likely to soon become extirpated across Hainan unless effective conservation management plans can be initiated. Methods to monitor and assess pangolin status and threats are urgently required across all range states, and we demonstrate that large-scale LEK surveys can strengthen the evidence-base for informing robust conservation action and management plans for these species.

The use of genome-wide genetic markers is an emerging approach for informing evidence-based management decisions for highly threatened species. Pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals across illegal wildlife trade globally, but Critically Endangered Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) have not been widely studied in insular Southeast Asia. We used > 12,000 single nucleotide polymorphic markers (SNPs) to assign pangolin seizures from illegal trade of unknown origin to possible geographic sources via genetic clustering with pangolins of known origin. Our SNPs reveal three previously unrecognized genetic lineages of Sunda pangolins, possibly from Borneo, Java and Singapore/Sumatra. The seizure assignments suggest the majority of pangolins were traded from Borneo to Java. Using mitochondrial markers did not provide the same resolution of pangolin lineages, and to explore if admixture might explain these differences, we applied sophisticated tests of introgression using > 2,000 SNPs to investigate secondary gene flow between each of the three Sunda pangolin lineages. It is possible the admixture which we discovered is due to human-mediated movements of pangolins. Our findings impact a range of conservation actions, including tracing patterns of trade, repatriation of rescue animals, and conservation breeding. In order to conserve genetic diversity, we suggest that, pending further research, each pangolin lineage should as a precaution be protected and managed as an evolutionarily distinct conservation unit.

No abstract

No abstract