A unifyng symbol for wildlife conservation in South America
The life of a field biologist is, for better or worse, mostly unglamorous – sometimes days, weeks or even months can go by searching for animals that seem to have vanished into thin air. Despite the huge improvements we’ve made over the years with survey techniques and equipment it somehow does not make finding giant armadillos any easier. For these reasons this incredible animal does not occupy the place it deserves on the conservation radar.
You might think that a big, armor-plated mammal with claws the size of kitchen knives would have attracted more attention, but when we began researching giant armadillos in 2010 they were still relatively unknown. With my colleagues in the Giant Armadillo Project, and thanks to the support of many other organizations including zoos across North America and Europe, we’ve spent the last four years learning everything we could about this fascinating animal. We have made some key discoveries on some basic facts (they only have one baby at a time) and on some of the more complex interactions they may have within the ecosystem (their deep burrows, when unoccupied, are used by over 25 different species as source shelter against predators, extreme temperatures or even as a place to find resources).
Sadly, as with so many other species, the giant armadillo faces worsening prospects due to human activity. Hunting, farming, and even South America’s ever-expanding network of roads and highways are putting these creatures in harm’s way, and we may be running out of time to study them. Scientific research for the sake of knowledge is a worthy cause, but for threatened species like the giant armadillo, we need to aim our research and our efforts toward conservation goals – and it starts with awareness. We are learning about this amazing creature in order to broadcast this knowledge to the world; to show our neighbors and everyone else how and why they should protect it for generations to come. We are extremely grateful to the EWCL Giant Armadillo Team for helping us achieve this.
The story of the giant armadillo is still being written, but we’re discovering more, day by day, week by week, month by month, and the pages are beginning to fill.
