Conservation, trade and (lack of) management of Sunda pangolins in Bali and Lombok

Abstract

Context Limited information is available on the occurrence, conservation and management of Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) on Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. Some have even questioned their presence here. Aims We present an overview of the current knowledge of pangolins on Bali and Lombok. Methods Information was drawn from camera traps (2023), animal market surveys (1994–2024), and review of occurrence data (museum specimens, iNaturalist, literature), rescues and releases, and seizure data. Key results We document the presence of wild pangolins from 11 sites in Bali (1994–2023) and 5 sites in Lombok (1939–2022). We document 8 rescues from Bali (2015–2023) but none from Lombok; there have been 11 releases of single pangolins in the forest near the Luhur Besi Kalung temple in Bali (2016–2023). We did not record, or find any records of, pangolins offered for sale in four animal markets in Bali (1994–2024) and Lombok (2018–2024), but there was one seizure of 15 live pangolins in Bali in 2009, and, unusually, limited evidence of trade from Lombok and Bali. Conclusions There is a paucity of data of pangolins on Lombok, and on Bali the species appears to occur scattered throughout the island, with much of the contemporary information being derived from accidental encounters or rescues and active management of pangolins is largely absent. Implications Compared to other parts of Indonesia, the conservation status of Sunda pangolins on Bali and Lombok is less bleak, and despite their small size, these two islands on the easternmost edge of the species’ range may hold important populations.