Globally, pangolins are threatened by poaching and illegal trade. Taiwan presents a contrary situation, where the wild pangolin population has stabilized and even begun to increase in the last two decades. This paper illustrates the factors responsible for causing mortality and morbidity in the wild Taiwanese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla) based on radio-tracking data of wild pangolins and records of sick or injured pangolins admitted to a Taiwanese wildlife rehabilitation center. Despite being proficient burrowers, results from radio-tracking show that Taiwanese pangolins are highly susceptible to getting trapped in tree hollows or ground burrows. Data from Pingtung Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals showed that trauma (73.0%) was the major reason for morbidity in the Taiwanese pangolin with trauma from gin traps being the leading cause (77.8%), especially during the dry season, followed by tail injuries caused by dog attacks (20.4%). Despite these threats, Taiwan has had substantial success in rehabilitating and releasing injured pangolins, primarily due to the close collaboration of Taiwanese wildlife rehabilitation centers over the last twenty years.

The reproductive uniqueness of pangolins has been documented through diverse biological reports with discernible data discrepancies in gestation, copulation, and pregnancy. These mechanistic reproductive differences have yet to be endocrinologically quantified, which could assist in optimizing natural breeding in zoos to recover endangered species. The present research characterizes the Chinese pangolin's annual seasonal reproductive pattern by measuring immunoreactive estrogens and progestagens in 34 captive females and testosterone in 29 captive males. Our results showed that Chinese pangolins are seasonal breeders, with most births witnessed during Sept–Dec, overlapping with the field records. Females exhibited spontaneous ovulation and post-partum ovulation. Pregnant females exhibited a higher P4 level for ~ 9 months (Jan–Sept) and decreased before parturition (Oct–Dec). The circulating E2 is maintained at the baseline in pregnant females year-round. Contrastingly, in non-pregnant females, P4 is maintained at the baseline, apart from a slight elevation in January, and E2 demonstrates a sudden hike from November and remains elevated until February, suggesting the onset of ovulation. The serum testosterone concentration in males peaked during October, which is in sync with the female ovulation period. As a result that their major reproductive events, ovulation, mating, and parturition, all transpire in November-March. Evidence also supports that Chinese pangolins exhibit signs of postimplantation (pregnancy) ranging only from 5 to 6 months (May–Oct), preceded by possible facultative delay implantation triggered by lactation. The provided data not only fill in the knowledge gap for this critically endangered species but can also assist in making informed decisions, which can directly affect the successful breeding of this species in captivity.

Pangolins are under severe threat of surging poaching rates globally; therefore, there is a demand to ascertain reproductive measures to ensure captive breeding and management strategies. Due to the absence of substantial information on the pangolin, endocrinology and reproductive physiology studies around the globe are merely based on captive observations that have failed to report the chronographs and hormonal cyclicity of the reproductive events. This study attempts to evaluate the annual pattern of reproductive steroids (estradiol-17β and progesterone) and prolactin in 16 wild female Taiwanese pangolins rehabilitated by Pingtung Rescue Center of Endangered Wild Animals, Taiwan. Novel immunoassays, i.e., chemiluminometric assays, have been used to quantify the serum reproductive steroids and contribute to a better understanding of the endocrine correlates of function in the Taiwanese pangolin. The hematological findings were characterized by monthly median concentration. The circulating reproductive hormones demonstrated seasonal reproductive activity by confirming a peak in serum estradiol concentrations in December and considerably higher progesterone concentrations in November/December, and March/April. The rise in prolactin in December and peak values in April suggest participation in the ovulatory process and mating. Collectively, these findings can help maximize the reproductive efficiency of pangolin species in captivity, i.e., by timely pairing and prioritizing the care of the breeding pairs to optimize breeding efforts and, therefore, effectively support conservation breeding programs and restore the natural population in the ecosystems.

Markhor (Capra falconeri) is a charismatic, threatened, large, high-altitude bovid found in parts of central and south Asia. The species faces threats such as habitat loss, hunting, poaching, livestock competition, hybridisation, and disease, yet research on wild populations is challenging. Various biological aspects, including surveys, diet, population dynamics, interactions with livestock, hybridisation, and disease, have been studied locally, along with behavior and reproductive biology, but details such as pregnancy, oestrus, and parturition timing remain unestablished. We conducted the first systematic, detailed, and fine-scale characterization of the reproductive steroid profiles of two males and five female markhors (Capra falconeri heptneri) in a captive population at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP), West Bengal, India. We collected weekly fecal samples, standardized and validated measurements of progesterone (fP4M) and testosterone (fTM) metabolites, and conducted reproductive profiling to assess reproductive stages in both sexes. Analyses of annual fP4M and fTM data from male and female markhor individuals showed similar profiles and synchronicity, with individual variation, and peaks and baselines were evident for both hormones. In both sexes, significantly higher hormone titres were observed during the sexually active and inactive phases. Non-invasive measurement of reproductive hormones accurately reflected ovarian function in females, helping establish mating, gestation, and parturition timelines in female markhors and determine the breeding season in males. These approaches support husbandry and breeding management by identifying optimal pairing, diagnosing pregnancy, and predicting parturition in both captive and wild populations. When applied correctly, these tools could greatly aid population monitoring of other endangered species across high-altitude regions worldwide.