Mo Ganji: Giant Pangolin | Riesenschuppentier | Smutsia gigantea | No. 086/250 from work group 8/99

Giant Pangolin | Riesenschuppentier | Smutsia gigantea

Mo Ganji’s single line opens toward the Giant pangolin — the largest of all pangolin species, a nocturnal mammal with overlapping keratin scales and a slow, deliberate presence — through a gesture of radical reduction. The continuous line offers only a condensed trace of form, enough to suggest a living being while remaining open to other readings. By setting aside surface detail, the drawing allows essence to appear before the figure is fixed within habit or category.

Smutsia gigantea is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Native to parts of central and western Africa, the species inhabits tropical forests and savannas, where it plays an important ecological role through its consumption of ants and termites. Despite its size, it remains elusive, and population data are limited, though trends indicate ongoing decline.

The primary threats include intense poaching for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade, as well as habitat loss from logging, agriculture and infrastructure development. Slow reproductive rates and large home-range requirements further limit the species’ capacity to recover once populations are reduced. Enforcement challenges across much of its range exacerbate these pressures.

Ganji’s single line allows the pangolin to be encountered beyond its scales or its vulnerability. It invites attention to a being whose existence unfolds largely unseen, prompting reflection on how human demand reaches even the most hidden lives — and how the notion of standing apart from nature falters when confronted with the quiet continuity of forms we so deeply affect.