Protecting pangolins in Southern Africa

I'm delighted to share latest news about the work you are helping to support - protecting critically endangered pangolins in southern Africa.

This period marks the peak season for pangolin trafficking, making the work of our local project partner, PCRF, even more urgent than ever. Against this challenging backdrop, the team has continued to deliver exceptional impact.

Kelsey Prediger, PCRF's Founder was recently nominated for the 2025 Worldwide Vets Golden Award. It is an acknowledgement of her extraordinary dedication, contributing to the rescue and release of 41 pangolins over the last four years.

The local team in Namibia continues to face serious operational hurdles. Illegal hunting activity remains a constant threat, and field teams are still relying on a borrowed vehicle, making transport of rescued pangolins and rapid-response interventions difficult. The need for a  permanent, reliable vehicle to support this frontline work is now vital.

Despite these challenges, the team has delivered powerful capacity-building across the region. A major training workshop was hosted for first responders and game guards, strengthening skills in pangolin rescue, safe transport, and community engagement, particularly addressing ongoing issues such as inappropriate emergency feeding (e.g., rice or cat food). Nationwide, over 350 officers across 42 Namibian villages have now been trained, alongside the milestone achievement of training Botswana’s first pangolin ecologist. This growing network of skilled responders is transforming pangolin protection across Southern Africa.

A recent release in mid-October demonstrated why such expertise matters: a rescued pangolin began losing weight after struggling to forage, and the team had to intervene quickly to bring it back for monitoring and support.

Awareness and storytelling have also taken an important step forward. Guardians of Eden, a beautiful new documentary following rescued pangolin Matabe’s Journey, features Kelsey and lead Pangolin Guardian Oma Sao, shining a light on the realities of this work and the people who make it possible.

Finally, the project has now been formally included in the Southern African Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (SARPCAP), a significant recognition of the team’s leadership and impact in pangolin conservation.

Thanks to supporters like you, this essential work continues to protect the world’s most trafficked mammal at a time when it is needed most.