CONSERVATION experts at Chester Zoo have fitted radio devices to a giant pangolin for the first time in the world.

It comes just months after the team captured the giant pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, on camera.

The little-known species was tagged on March 25 in a bid to uncover crucial information in order to develop strategies to monitor and protect populations across Africa.

The team at the zoo have now been tracking the animal for eight weeks.

Nicknamed Sungura Mwezi meaning 'Rabbit Moon' in Swahili, the female pangolin was calm throughout the tagging process.

Chester Zoo’s Africa field programme and research lead Stuart Nixon said: “For the first time, we’ve been able to track a giant pangolin, learning more about the ranging patterns and habitat use of the species. This is invaluable.

"It will help us to determine key habitats, priority sites for conservation, and develop monitoring and survey techniques for the species.”

Despite being protected by international wildlife laws that ban their trade, pangolins are the most illegally trafficked group of mammals in the world.

Their meat is considered a delicacy in many countries and their scales are widely used in traditional medicines, particularly in Vietnam and China, despite there being no medical benefit from their use.

Naomi Matthews, Chester Zoo’s giant pangolin field manager, said: “It is incredibly special to be able to track an animal which is so elusive that very few people are ever lucky enough to see one.

"The experience of catching her to fit the devices was momentous.

"Although calm throughout, she proved herself to be an incredibly powerful animal.

"Her hard scales offer the perfect protection from natural predators but unfortunately these defences are not enough to keep the species safe from humans whose hunting practices make them very vulnerable.”