Okonjima Nature Reserve (ONR), home of the AfriCat Foundation, is also called home for a wide range of interesting species, one little known resident is a scaly anteater known as the Temminck’s ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) or ground pangolin.  They are one of eight pangolin species worldwide and one of four pangolin species which occur on the African continent, all of which are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).   The other four species are found on the Asian continent, all of which are either classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN.  These animals are predominantly nocturnal which makes studying them difficult, especially in areas with high concentrations of predators, this is why African pangolin species are highly under researched. 

Pangolin are a keystone species who provide a variety of valuable services to the ecosystem directly impacting many other species.  Firstly, it is estimated pangolin consume approximately 70 million ants and termites per year, which in turn provides a service to those animals feeding on plants targeted by the insects.   As reported in “Illegal trade in Pangolins in Namibia: The impact of a reward scheme over the first year” an estimated 105,000kg of grass can be eaten by these ants and termites in an area home to fifteen pangolin, translating into the food over one year for 30 cows or 430 springbok.  The report estimates approximately N$600 million per year can be saved in crop loss due to the service provided by pangolin consuming ants and termites.  Pangolin are burrowing mammals, which play important roles within ecosystems by functioning as ecosystem engineers.  This results from their turning over of the soil during burrowing and feeding which can help aerate the soil lead to an increase in plant germination.