Save the Pangolins

Why Are Pangolins Important?

Pangolins are vital for healthy ecosystems.

Pangolins are nature’s little gardeners – by digging up ant nests and termite mounds, they cycle air, water and nutrients into the soil which promotes plant growth. As regulators of these ant and termite populations, pangolins are important for ecosystem health.

Over 2 million pangolins are poached each year to feed the illegal wildlife trade, where their scales, claws and fat have symbolic value in traditional medicine or as spiritual charms. At the same time, ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation is further threatening all four species across Africa.

Safe well-managed protected areas are vital - not just to protect pangolins where they naturally occur, but also to successfully release rescued and rehabilitated pangolins. Through effective partnerships and community collaboration, African Parks’ protected area management is helping to ensure safe areas are available for pangolin.

To save pangolins, help conserve vital ecosystems at scale.

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Partnering for Pangolins

Partnerships are vital for pangolin conservation.

African Parks has partnered with the Tikki Hywood Foundation since 2019 to combine shared expertise and resources to boost pangolin conservation efforts within and around several protected landscapes. With pangolin species occurring across 95% of the protected areas managed by African Parks, community engagement and partnerships are also creating awareness and support for pangolin conservation. In Zimbabwe for instance, these partnerships are ensuring that pangolins are successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released into Matusadona National Park, with the support of ZimParks.

Act Local

Where community and conservation meet, pangolins thrive.

Through ongoing collaboration with communities, African Parks ensures that protected areas provide tangible benefits to local people, nurturing a strong constituency for conservation. The Matusadona Pangolin Monitoring Programme, in partnership with Tikki Hywood Foundation and supported by the Pangolin Crisis Fund, is a leading example of community supported work that is helping to rehabilitate rescued pangolins and safely return them to their natural habitat. Not only has this programme ensured many successful releases through constant monitoring during the release process, but it is also supporting local skills development and community environmental awareness. These efforts are going a long way in enhancing local capacity to conserve pangolins, while rekindling community knowledge and a connection with these creatures.

Support the people and places making pangolin conservation possible.

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Tipping the Scales to Save Pangolins