Can you be a Pangolin protector?

Click below to donate to save Pangolins like William from the illegal wildlife trade.

The Pangolin is the world's most trafficked animal, yet this statistic goes unnoticed in most conservation debates. Domestic and international trade poses the largest threat to the African pangolins - with over 300 000 pangolins being poached annually. This means that an estimated 270 pangolins are poached from the wild every day. Their only defence mechanism is to roll up into a tight ball. This is very effective against their natural predators such as hyena, lions or leopards. But it makes them utterly defenceless against human poachers, who can simply pick them up and put them in a bag - before selling them on in the illegal wildlife trade.

All four pangolin species are widely used in traditional African medicines, locally known as muthi - as well as in Asian countries. Pangolins are captured and killed with various parts of the animal – including blood, scales and meat – being used for traditional purposes. When trafficked pangolins are confiscated by authorities through sting operations, the animals are severely compromised and require immediate veterinary care, as well as prolonged intensive care and rehabilitation before being released back into the wild. 

Pangolins are scaly ant-eaters. They are mammals and give birth to live pups, who then stay with their moms for up to 6 months until they are weaned. Primarily nocturnal, Pangolins spend the majority of their day in underground burrows. They play a crucial ecological role by consuming up to 70 million ants and termites annually, preventing vegetation loss and improving soil quality. If ant and termite populations were to become hyper-abundant, the damage to the soil and vegetation would be irreversible. However, with slow reproduction rates as females birth a single pup every 12-18 months, every pangolin saved is vital to species survival.

The number of Pangolins rescued and treated by these teams in Limpopo alone, has increased by 270%, from 13 cases in 2020, to 31 and 48 cases in 2023 and 2024 respectively. While this shows increasing success in tracking down and capturing poachers, this has also put immense pressure on the veterinary and rehabilitation centres who are working day and night to keep these animals alive and help them recover so that they can be released back into the wild.

In 2024, we reached our fundraising goal with $9,277 raised for pangolin rescues, including funding for veterinary costs for saving 2 pangolins, as well as 4 sets of VHF satellite tracking tags and 1 VHF telemetry device. The VHF telemetry device is essential equipment used to keep track of pangolins in veterinary care, during nightly foraging walks. While one pangolin did not survive his release process due to the long term impact of being mistreated by the poachers, one pangolin was successfully released back into the wild - where she went on to give birth to her pup.

This year, our goal is to raise another $10,000 - to support the veterinary team at ProVet Animal Hospital in their life saving work. Depending on the cases, this funding can save up to 5 pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade and give them back their lives in the wild. We specifically support ProVet Animal Hospital, who are rescuing and nursing all confiscated pangolins in the Greater Kruger Area back to health. You can contribute to our Pangolin fund by sponsoring tracking equipment or making a donation of your choice to fund veterinary costs.