A forest may burn to the ground, but beneath the ashes, a pangolin is already rebuilding.
Pangolins are best known for their misfortune. As the world’s most trafficked mammal, their numbers have been decimated by poaching for scales and meat. But a recent study underscores what is at stake beyond the species itself: pangolins play a vital role in ecological recovery, particularly in landscapes ravaged by fire, reports Spoorthy Raman.
Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla), researchers have found, act as ecosystem engineers. Their burrowing activity—previously recognized for aerating soil and providing shelter for other wildlife—also accelerates biodiversity recovery in burned forests. The study, published in Global Ecology and Conservation, observed that pangolin burrows in fire-damaged forests of southern China provided refuge for surviving animals and created conditions that encouraged plant regrowth.
Scientists monitored pangolin burrow sites across two years, comparing them with control sites absent of burrows. The results were striking. Vegetation was more diverse and abundant at burrow sites, with 58 plant species recorded, compared to 47 at control sites. Animal life was similarly richer, with burrow sites hosting nearly 1,000 individuals across 35 species, including birds, small mammals, and reptiles. The burrows’ stable temperature and humidity proved particularly valuable, providing shelter for species left exposed by the fires.
The findings bolster the case that pangolins contribute to ecosystem resilience, particularly in the face of climate-driven wildfires. Yet, despite their ecological importance, all eight pangolin species teeter on the brink of extinction, largely due to the illegal wildlife trade.
China has increased protections for pangolins in recent years, including a ban on their use in traditional medicine. But conservationists warn that enforcement remains uneven, and rewilding efforts, while promising, remain in their infancy.
If pangolins disappear, their burrows will fall silent, taking with them an unseen network of life. The study’s message is clear: preserving pangolins is not just about saving a species—it is about sustaining entire ecosystems.
CITATION: Sun, S., Zhang, S., Wu, F., Kuang, Y., Zhang, Y., Dou, H., … Hua, Y. (2025). Chinese pangolins facilitate ecological restoration in burned forest sites by burrowing. Global Ecology and Conservation, 58, e03416. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03416
