The Pangolin Song: He’s so Funky

March 3 is World Wildlife Day, and we just had World Pangolin Day. So we have created a tribute to this fascinating and funky animal – the pangolin.

1. THE PANGOLIN SONG

Download the song “The Pangolin.” We also call this song “He’s So Funky.” Listen to the song and see why.

The song is short (90 seconds) and easy to use in class as listening comprehension.  After a listen or two, do a call-and-response with students:

You:  He’s so funky. He’s so funky.

Students:  Who’s so funky? Who’s so funky?

Everybody:  The pangolin.  The pangolin. 

Here’s the text for the song:

He’s so funky. He’s so funky.

Who’s so funky? Who’s so funky?

The pangolin. The pangolin.

                    He’s a mammal who has scales,

                    Baby rides on Mama’s tale.

                    The pangolin.  The pangolin.

His tongue is really long,

He slurps up termites all day long,

And ants. He loves ants.

The pangolin.  He’s so funky.

2. THE PANGOLIN RECORDED TEXT

AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati

The pangolin is a funky mammal with a long tail and a long tongue.  The tongue is about as long as his whole body.  This allows him to slurp up ants and termites by the hundred.

The pangolin is a mammal, but he’s covered in scales. The scales are made up of keratin—the same thing that your hair, your fingernails, or the horn of a rhino are made up of. Baby pangolins ride on their moms’ tails.

February 21^st is in fact World Pangolin Day. And it’s important to know who the pangolin is. If we don’t there’s little chance this funky animal will survive. That’s because the pangolin is caught and trafficked, mostly to China and Vietnam, where it is eaten as a delicacy or used in traditional medicine. Help the Pangolin.

3. THE PANGOLIN ACTIVITY MANUAL

For more ideas, download The Pangolin Activity Manual.

The Pangolin Song [ 1:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1432)

The Pangolin Text [ 1:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (803)