Author: Alivia Swayze

Marine Mammals: a Military Defense

The Swamp Stomp

Volume 19, Issue 12

When you think about military operations and tactics, a wide array of technological systems and machinery probably come to mind, but were marine mammals on your list? Many military forces across the globe, including the US Navy, have been training marine mammals for some time. Since the 1960s, the US Navy has been training sea lions and bottlenose dolphins to not only search for underwater mines and trespassers but to also search for lost equipment. The Russian navy and later the Ukrainian navy also trained bottlenose dolphins for similar work.

But what makes marine mammals so skilled at these tasks? Marine mammals exhibit many abilities that make them superior to even some of the most sophisticated military equipment available today. For starters, cetaceans (a group of animals including whales and dolphins) have incredible echolocation. With echolocation, cetaceans can send out sound waves that bounce off objects in the water, letting the animals know what is ahead. Their echolocation is far better than any available technology, especially since bottlenose dolphins can work in noisier areas than today’s technology can handle. They can even use this ability to distinguish different types of metals, which is very useful in terms of the military’s needs. Dolphins also possess one of the best memories of any animal, making them very easy to train.

Sea lions also possess some very useful abilities. The California sea lion is often trained by the US Navy to detect objects in the water. They have great eyesight and can quickly tell when something is not supposed to be there, like lost equipment or mines. They are also amphibious, which means they can function both on land and on water. This makes them very easy to train and they can be brought up on boats when needed, making them more valuable to the Navy than most other marine mammals.

Although bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions make great military animals, there are some marine mammals that do not make the cut. In 2017, Russia tried to train beluga whales to perform the same things as the bottlenose dolphins and sea lions do. However, belugas cannot handle being in the Russian waters’ lower temperatures for long periods of time.

Since the introduction of marine mammals into military operations, there has been quite a bit of success. They were used back in the Cold War by the Soviet Union to detect anything suspicious or to find lost objects like torpedoes. They have also been known to be used by the US Navy in both Gulf Wars and during Operation Enduring Freedom, in which President George Bush announced airstrikes on Al Qaeda and the Taliban shortly after the terrorist strike on September 11, 2001. Since these operations, military forces around the globe continue to train these incredibly smart animals to help military programs run smoothly and more efficiently. And next time there is any conversation about military personnel and their astonishing jobs, you can add marine mammals to the list!

Sources:

“Dolphins In Defence: How Marine Mammals Are Used By The Military.” Forces Network, 29 Apr. 2019, www.forces.net/news/dolphins-defence-how-military-uses-marine-mammals.

Lee, Jane J. “Military Whales, and Dolphins: What Do They Do and Who Uses Them?” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 3 May 2019, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140328-navy-dolphin-sea-lion-combat-ocean-animal-science/.

The Threat to Pangolins

The Swamp Stomp

Volume 19, Issue 11

Pangolins are quite lovable and exotic creatures. They are solitary, shy, and nocturnal. Their size ranges from 12 to 60 inches and they are covered in remarkable scales. Not only do they have unique diets consisting of just a few specific types of ants and termites, but they also constitute their own taxonomic order. Their powerful tongues attach all the way to their sternum, making them even more intriguing.

What makes them even distinctive though unfortunately, is that among mammals, they are the most heavily trafficked non-human mammals. Between the years 2000-2013, an estimated one million pangolins were trafficked, with 67 countries and territories involved. There are many traits about pangolins that make them so coveted by humans. For starters, they make great bush meat and their meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and China. However, their most coveted trait is their scales. Their scales are used in traditional medical practices in China and some African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. The keratin in their scales is what is sought after, and has been known to be of benefit for health problems such as lactation issues, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Although some African countries practice traditional medicine that uses pangolin scales, it is China where most shipments are sent. In China alone, there are approvals of 29 tons of scales yearly in the pharmaceutical business. In this business, there are about 200 pharmaceutical companies and 60 medicines that are produced using the scales.

This measure of trafficking hasn’t gone unnoticed by conservationists. In 2017, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) issued a worldwide ban on commercial pangolin trade. Before this, in 2000, trade of four of the eight species was prohibited. Despite these efforts, pangolin trade is still highly prevalent in the black market. Although officials cannot estimate how many are traded yearly, National Geographic estimates that hundreds of thousands of pangolins are killed each year for trade purposes.

The biggest issue in spreading the word about pangolin conservation is the pharmaceutical business’ “need” for pangolin scales. In the mid-1990s, China hunted pangolins into their seeming disappearance. There were stockpiles of scales that Chinese pharmaceutical companies gathered their needs from, but conservationists doubt that those stockpiles would still be meeting their needs two decades later. Still, even though the scales are coveted greatly in traditional medicine, there is no scientific proof that the scales even have positive effects when used medicinally.

Chinese companies, licensed by the Chinese government to do so, have tried to breed pangolins in captivity for commercial purposes and to keep them out of the trade. However, pangolins are arduous animals to keep in captivity simply because they stress easily, so efforts have not been successful. On top of the difficulties of pangolin captivity, several Chinese companies that try to breed pangolins were raided since authorities were suspicious of their motives. Even though they are trying to do good by keeping pangolins out of the trade and in their own hands, they should instead try and eliminate the use of pangolin scales altogether.

Education is the biggest help to pangolin conservation. There is no scientific proof that pangolin scales have any effect when used medicinally, and there are many known alternatives to the scales. Since breeding them commercially would be a nearly impossible effort to pursue, educating about alternatives in the world of pharmaceuticals could make the biggest impact.

There have also been some groups that have been quite successful rescuing pangolins found in the trade and nursing them back to health to be released. The Tikki Hywood Foundation is a renowned wildlife rescue center that was founded by Lisa Hywood in 1994. They are based in Zimbabwe and have rescued nearly 180 pangolins from illegal trade since 2012. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is another renowned organization. They are a non-profit rehabilitation group that also takes a big part in pangolin conservation. In 2017, they rescued 407 pangolins. Because of these groups, and several others, many pangolins have had a second chance at life in the wild, free from capture and the dangers of trade. Aside from rehabilitation programs around the world, many organizations (like Save Pangolins and Pangolin Conservation) have helped to raise money to help educate people about why there is a need for pangolin conservation and rehabilitation. With further education about this cause, pangolin trade can hopefully disappear completely from around the world.

Sources:

Bale, Rachel. “Poaching Is Sending the Shy, Elusive Pangolin to Its Doom.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 15 May 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/06/pangolins-poached-for-scales-used-in-chinese-medicine/.

“Wildlife Rescue.” Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, 2019, www.svw.vn/our-work/wildlife-rescue/.