PANGOLIN TRAFFICKING ON THE RISE: ELF’S STORY
Missing limbs, life-threatening wounds, internal injuries – this is what we often see when a pangolin is rescued from wildlife traffickers and brought to our sanctuary. And it’s not stopping. Pangolin trafficking in Malawi is on the rise – in fact, we’re receiving so many pangolins that we’ve had to open a new rehabilitation site […]
Missing limbs, life-threatening wounds, internal injuries – this is what we often see when a pangolin is rescued from wildlife traffickers and brought to our sanctuary. And it’s not stopping.
Pangolin trafficking in Malawi is on the rise – in fact, we’re receiving so many pangolins that we’ve had to open a new rehabilitation site to make sure we can provide the care and nutrition they need to recover.
Elf is one of the pangolins at this new site. When he first arrived he weighed just 1.5kg. He was severely dehydrated and starved. He was also carrying an eye infection and could barely see out of one eye.
It’s amazing that a baby pangolin of this size survived – infants of this age are still highly dependent on milk from their mothers, and Elf’s mother was nowhere to be seen when the police found him hidden in a backpack.
But Elf pulled through. After being bottle-fed for several weeks he put on enough weight to be transferred to our new site. Located in a national park that is under government protection, it’s a safe haven for threatened animals like Elf.
A few days ago Elf’s caretaker weighed him and reported that he is now a healthy 4.3kg! He still needs to get a bit stronger before we can release him, so he’ll stay in our care until then.
But, thankfully, the future is looking bright for this brave pangolin.
Please help other pangolins like Elf by making a donation today.
HOW YOUR SUPPORT COULD HELP
£5 could pay for an infant pangolin to be bottle fed ten times.
£15 could buy a headlamp to help monitor a pangolin while it forages at night.
£25 could pay for a day of medication for a pangolin needing intensive care.
£50 could provide national park staff with critical supplies and equipment to care for pangolins.
£100 could buy a heat lamp to keep young or sick pangolins warm during critical rehabilitation.
£500 could cover food costs for all the animals at our sanctuary for a week.
Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked mammal – and they’re now threatened with extinction.
We’ve lost a million pangolins over the past decade, while global populations have declined by 80% in the last 20 years.
Pangolin numbers are being decimated to satisfy demand in Asia, where their meat is considered a delicacy and their scales are prized in traditional medicine – despite there being no scientific evidence for their efficacy.
Pangolins provide valuable ecosystem services by controlling pest insects while their burrowing improves the health of the soil and, in turn, supports rural farming communities.
Read our Protecting Pangolins issue brief to learn about the scale and nature of the illicit pangolin trade as well as government-led initiatives to disrupt trafficking networks – and return the victims to the wild.
Our team works tirelessly to rehabilitate and release pangolins back into the wild, where they belong. This year we’ve already cared for more than 30 pangolins. Now we need your help to continue our work.
If we don’t act now, pangolins may disappear forever.
Thank you for giving pangolins like ELF
another chance at life in the wild, where they belong.
Photos: A. Schunmann, A. Harwood, T. Beddis, B. Hintz, Blue Ant Media
