Good news for the global pangolin conservation movement — a new baby pangolin was born last month under the care of Taipei Zoo, the world’s leading expert in pangolin breeding and dietary research.
The female infant Gaoxia (膏夏) was fathered by Shilin (士林), a pangolin named after the Taipei district he was rescued from in 2020. Likely mauled by stray dogs, Shilin was found chewed up with multiple fractures and infected open wounds, in addition to missing his tail and right leg paw. It took almost 30 medical treatments to save his life, but he has since made a full recovery at Taipei Zoo. Shilin was deemed unfit for re-release into the wild as a pangolin with an amputated tail and limb.
Her most famous kid is arguably Runhoutang (潤喉糖, meaning “cough drop”), one half of the pangolin couple loaned to Prague Zoo last year as part of a transnational conservation program between Taiwan and Czechia. Runhoutang and her mate Guobao (果寶, homophone for “national treasure”) flew from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, stopping over at Dubai before landing at Václav Havel Airport Prague on April 14, 2022. It was the first time the Emirates airline transported live pangolins.
Before starting a new life in the Czech Republic, Runhoutang had previously given birth to a baby girl called Audrey (糖鳳, homophone for Taiwan’s non-binary digital minister Audrey Tang 唐鳳), who is now living as an independent adult at Taipei Zoo. Audrey’s sister, Šiška (meaning “little pinecone”), was born successfully this February as the first-ever pangopup bred in Europe. Her cult status in Czechia can be gleaned by the title “Her Excellency, Ambassador Šiška” fondly bestowed by Miroslav Bobek, director of Prague Zoo.
This makes Prague Zoo the second European zoo to host Formosan pangolins and the first to birth one. Germany’s Leipzig Zoo is home to the first pair of pangolins ever sent to Europe from Taiwan. Toufen (頭份) and Guishan (龜山) arrived in 2007 and 2009, respectively, and were joined by Shuili (水里) and Chuancyong (穿芎) in 2016; they are housed opposite the underwater viewing panel of the elephant bathing pool.
Taipei Zoo also has a rather adorable and elaborate naming scheme for the pangolins under its stewardship. Newborns or rescued pangolins are named by their caretakers, who often choose to include one Mandarin character from a parent’s name in the offspring’s name, or use an auspicious-sounding homophone.
For example, Pipagao (枇杷膏) and her mother Chuanbei (穿貝, Yellow himalayan fritillary) are both named after a traditional loquat cough syrup known as Pei pa koa (枇杷膏), and Chuanbei inherited the character 穿 from her father Chuanqi (穿七, an ornamental succulent vine nicknamed lamb’s tail).
Altogether, four generations of Formosan pangolins (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla), a subspecies native to Taiwan, have been successfully bred at Taipei Zoo. Please support this world-class institution by visiting and attending its events. Every Moon Festival, the zoo also holds a pomelo-carving competition by fusing traditional Mid-Autumn and western Halloween traditions.
More on Taiwan’s pangolin diplomacy here.
