March 15, 2021

A nonprofit organization has spent nearly 10 years doing conservation work with pangolins.

The African Pangolin Working Group started in 2011 when Ray Jansen, PhD, realized nearly all of the species of pangolin were facing extinction, mostly because of humans. Pangolins are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world. The APWG has been involved in the transport and rehabilitation of the majority of pangolins retrieved from trafficking in South Africa over the last decade. Between 2015 and 2020, the APWG helped about 154 pangolins, according to data from Dr. Jansen.

Dr. Jansen is a professor in the Department of Environmental, Water, and Earth Sciences at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. He said the mission of the working group is to conserve African pangolins and their habitat through conservation initiatives, education, research, and counterpoaching operations.

“Unfortunately, the illegal trade in pangolins is now largely organized crime and is a dangerous exercise to be involved in,” Dr. Jansen said. “I have a large police team helping me that protects us when in sting operations. It is therefore very difficult for the general public to be directly involved as they (pangolins) are the most heavily traded mammals on our planet, and the black market prices are ridiculously high. The best the folks out there can do is spread the word and awareness of pangolins. Social media is the greatest weapon in this war.”

Pangolins are trafficked mostly for their scales, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine, or for their meat. Some researchers have suggested pangolins may have passed SARS-CoV-2 to humans. However, viral sequencing has indicated this is unlikely. There are eight species of pangolins in the world, and they feed entirely on ants and termites. Pangolins belong to the order Pholidota and are genetically close to canids, but their anatomy is very unique.

Dr. Karin Lourens, founder, director, and head veterinarian at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, is one of the most experienced pangolin veterinarians in the world. She said working with the species is rewarding, but the treatment and rehabilitation of pangolins can be difficult.

“We have a protocol that we have perfected over the last four years, and we can modify it to suit each pangolin’s individual needs,” she said. “Some days are heartbreaking when we cannot save one. I often feel helpless. Despite all the knowledge we have now, we still have so far to go. The bad days inspire me to work harder to find ways to better treat this particular species.”