Pangolin Artificial Breeding Methods and Technical Key Points
With the continuous rise of the breeding industry today, all kinds of breeding operations are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain, and many of them are things we have never heard of or seen before. Yet they have great market demand. So to be a successful investor, you must have rich social experience!
How to Breed Pangolins Artificially
The pangolin, also known as the scaly anteater or pangolin scale, is an animal of the Manidae family. Because of its high food and medicinal value, pangolins currently sell for 760—800 yuan per kilogram. Due to poaching by humans, wild resources are already very scarce. Artificially breeding pangolins brings returns in the same year as the investment, so the prospects for developing artificial breeding are broad. I will now describe in detail the breeding experience I have gained over the past few years:
1. Species Source
There are mainly three sources of breeding stock for artificially bred pangolins:
1. The Fujian Southern Special Animal Breeding Farm;
2. Capture in the wild;
3. Expanding the breeding scale by retaining offspring from reproduction as breeding stock.
2. Site Setup and Daily Feeding Management
The site is generally chosen facing south with its back to the north, sheltered from wind and facing the sun, and in a quiet place. Generally, an area of 150—200 square meters can accommodate 8—10 pairs of breeding pangolins. A wall should be built all around, with the stone footing more than 2.5 m deep, and the ground covered with cement 12—15 cm thick to prevent the pangolins from digging holes and escaping. Inside the breeding area, pile up 4—5 small mounds, cover them with turf, and plant pine trees and some evergreen trees on top. On the floor surface, set up in advance a small pool 2 m long, 0.4 m wide, and 0.3 m deep for them to drink and bathe in, keeping running water in the pool. Within the breeding area, set up in advance 6—8 small pits 1 m long, 0.3 m wide, and 0.4 m deep, fill them with 2/3 pine bark and 1/3 fresh bracken, cover with soil, and pour rice-washing water on them every day for 3 consecutive days; within 7—10 days white ants will emerge for the pangolins to eat freely. Ordinarily, buy some horse mackerel or small stream fish, pair it with abundant fish, deep-fry and dry it, then crush it and place it on the ground, putting 100—150 grams at each spot, at three to four spots, letting them eat freely; this is the main method of solving the bait source. Normally, base the amount on the bait placed being eaten up, and it can be increased day by day. Newly captured pangolins generally refuse to eat; at this time, the force-feeding method should be used, and force-feeding for 2—3 days is enough.
Pangolins can breed in all four seasons, with 1 male paired with 4 females. They produce at least 2 litters each year, with 1—2 young per litter. Newborn young have no scales and are white, and are nourished by mother's milk. Once they reach a body weight of 250 grams, they can live independently and forage for themselves.
3. Disease Prevention and Control
1. For external lice disease on the body surface, use 10 ml of lice-removal essence mixed with 3—4 kg of water for a medicinal bath on the body surface;
2. For coccidiosis, pangolins with this disease are generally somewhat thin and anorexic. Sulfur powder should be added to the bait (add 2—3 grams to 1 jin of bait), and feeding continuously for 3—4 days is enough.
4. Three Issues to Note During the Breeding Process:
1. In the bait, appropriately add (1) vitamin C and E; (2) trace elements such as zinc and iron tablets; (3) auxins, and pay attention to timely replacement of the bait.
2. During the breeding process, prevent prolonged noise from the outside, prevent escape, and keep running water in the pool.
3. Generally, a small pangolin weighing 200 grams can reach about 500 grams by winter.
Is Breeding Pangolins Profitable?
The pangolin is both a traditional Chinese medicinal material and a food supplement favored by southerners. According to information feedback from seventeen medicinal material markets across the country, the annual usage of pangolins is 500—600 tons. Due to the lack of wild resources, in order to correctly handle the relationship between resource protection and sustainable use, and to promote the coordinated development of wildlife protection and the traditional Chinese medicine cause, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Ministry of Forestry, and three other ministries jointly issued a document:
1. Stop wild hunting activities and promote the recovery and growth of wild resources
2. Establish an incentive mechanism of “whoever invests, benefits”, guide enterprises to participate in wild resource recovery and artificial breeding activities, with support from the State Forestry Administration.
At present, domestic experimental breeding has achieved success, but there is no large-scale breeding. Investing 200,000——500,000 yuan for large-scale breeding, the annual return is estimated to be 1——2 million. Pangolin breeding will be another new species after the development of 54 previously restricted national key protected animals such as sika deer and crocodiles. According to the annual demand of 300,000 head counted in 2010, there will be a very large demand space. Because of the pangolin's special feeding habits, breeding research is quite difficult, and it will be hard to imitate in the short term; for a period it may even monopolize the market.
Analysis of Pangolin Breeding Prospects and Market Price Trends
In recent years, most of the pangolins used medicinally in China have come from neighboring countries, often entering border trade markets through small border paths for underground transactions. After entering the country, they are subject to strict inspection, so in recent years the volume of underground transactions entering border trade markets has also sharply decreased, thus making pangolins a hot-selling variety, with prices rising step by step, reaching a new level every year. In 2005 it was only 500—600 yuan per kilogram, in 2006 it rose to 700—800 yuan, in 2007 it had risen to 900—1000 yuan, and in the first quarter of 2008 it rose to 1200-1300 yuan.
In just over two years, the increase reached as high as 116.7—140%, more than double. Industry insiders believe: if the state does not take corresponding measures to ensure medicinal demand through imports, at this rate, the underground transaction price of pangolin scales in Guangdong Province has now broken through the 4000 yuan mark.
New Techniques for Pangolin Breeding
The pangolin is a ground-dwelling mammal, with a narrow, elongated body, scales covering the whole body, short and thick limbs, and a flat and long tail with a slightly raised back. It mostly lives in subtropical deciduous forests. During the day it often hides in caves and blocks them with soil. At night it mostly goes out to forage, hiding by day and emerging at night, and when encountering enemies it curls up into a ball. The third Saturday of February each year is World Pangolin Day. At present, the pangolin belongs to the national first-class protected wild animals in China.
Choose a place with moist, cool conditions, sheltered from wind and facing the sun, and without sandy or stony soil for breeding. The size of the site is determined by the breeding quantity, and it is not suitable to exceed 2 pairs per 10 sq m. Build a wall more than 2.5 m around the site, and cover the ground with cement 12~15 cm thick to prevent the pangolins from digging holes and escaping. Inside the breeding area, pile up 4~5 small mounds, plant turf, and plant pine trees and some evergreen trees on top. Set up a small pool on the floor surface in advance for them to drink and wash their bodies, keeping running water in the pool. Place cow dung and fishy-smelling bait in the area, or bury some easily rotting fishy-smelling things to attract ants and other insects. A night light can also be installed in the area to attract insects such as moths at night for the pangolins to eat.
Judging from the market prospects and market trends of pangolins, the development prospects for pangolins are very good. They are not only hot-selling in China but are likewise a hot-selling variety in other countries, and their prices have been rising steadily over the past two years, so their profit margin is also growing larger and larger. However, for such a high-profit breeding operation, the risk is likewise the greatest!