Guess who loves ants?

The Sunda pangolin! Like the anteater, the Sunda pangolin loves to snack on ants and termites. That is probably why it is also called the Malayan Scaly Anteater. It is one of the animals that you can read about on page 91 of Tiger Tales: Almost True Animal Stories from Old Singapore as well as spot elsewhere in the book.

The Sunda pangolin is native to Singapore, although you will not find many of them here now due to the loss of their habitat. As they are very slow moving, they are sometimes injured by passing vehicles when they stray from forested areas into roads. As recently as June this year, Acres Singapore rescued a pangolin that was stranded by the roadside. See the video here.

In many parts of the world, the Sunda pangolin has long been hunted for its skin, scales and meat, which are sold for high prices. Although governments around the globe have made it illegal to hunt and trade the pangolin, it has not stopped the poachers. According to World Wildlife Fund, around 195,000 pangolins were hunted and sold in 2019. In fact, it is probably the most trafficked mammal in the world. It is no surprise then that the pangolin is a critically endangered species close to extinction. Do your bit to Save the Pangolins here.

For little ones aged 4 to 7, use this fun colouring sheet to share all about this shy nocturnal animal that once roamed our island freely.

Tiger Tales: Almost True Stories from Old Singapore is available for sale at major bookstores in Singapore, including Books Ahoy, Books Kinokuniya, The Fullerton Shop at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Garden Shops at Botanic Gardens, Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop, Museum Shops at the National Museum and Asian Civilisation Museum, and Woods in the Books.

It is also available online at Books Kinokuniya, Closetful of Books, Epigram Bookshop, Natventure Books, Owl Readers Club and Woods in the Books.