A Pangolin’s Journey: Giving Puck A Second Chance At Life

Born into the illegal wildlife trade, the trauma had already taken its toll: the stress of the conditions at the hands of traffickers had caused Puck’s mother to stop producing milk. To give both pangolins the best chance of survival, we made the difficult decision to separate them. Fortunately, Puck’s mother was otherwise in good health and was released back into the wild almost immediately.

But the odds were stacked against Puck. Young pangolins are notoriously vulnerable – they’re highly sensitive to stress and easily traumatised. Without his mother, Puck needed round-the-clock care.

For eighteen months, our dedicated pangolin team watched over him. From bottle feeding to guiding him through his first, hesitant steps foraging for ants and termites, they even tolerated Puck’s habit of rolling in other animals’ dung (a clever trick pangolins use to mask their scent from predators).

Bit by bit, Puck grew stronger. He proved himself an excellent digger and eager forager – skills essential for his survival back in the wild.

With the arrival of the rainy season, we knew it was time. And we’re delighted to share that just a few weeks ago, Puck took his first steps back into the wild!

He was fitted with a satellite tag so we can continue to track his movements, making sure this little survivor was adjusting well to his new home.

And we’re happy to report that Puck is already gaining weight, adapting beautifully, and reclaiming the wild life that should have been his from the start.

This is why we do what we do – because pangolins belong in the wild. And while the illegal trade continues to threaten this remarkable species, every single success story matters.

Puck’s journey was made possible by people like you — compassionate supporters who refuse to let these quiet, extraordinary animals slip away unnoticed. From all of us at Lilongwe Wildlife Trust: thank you.