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Scaling Up Conservation for World’s Most Trafficked Mammal: Pangolins

Written by Terttu Newaka | Feb 21, 2026 10:48:46 AM

The pangolin has no roar, no charge, no piercing cry. When threatened, it simply curls into a ball, trusting in armor that has protected it for 80 million years. Yet against poachers and traffickers, this instinct has become a death sentence, tragically useless against humans.

 

The Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation (PCRF) recently hosted a remarkable gala in support of this quiet, shy, and critically endangered species. Held under the theme A Nocturnal Affair: Scaling up Pangolin Conservation the evening was a declaration that the world's most trafficked mammal since 2014 will not be forgotten, and that effective conservation must be rooted in science, driven by community, and powered by partnership.

 

Coinciding with World Pangolin Day, the true power of the evening lay in the stories shared from the podium. Stories of heartbreaking loss, scientific progress and an unwavering commitment to change.

 

Since 2018, at least 650 pangolins have been poached in Namibia in registered cases alone. But because pangolins leave no visible carcass behind, these numbers represent only a fraction of the true scale of loss. Their disappearance is largely silent.

 

PCRF Executive Director Kelsey Prediger took the stage not to simply present data and deliverables, but to introduce the audience to the creatures at the heart of it all. With raw honesty, she spoke of pangolins lost despite every possible intervention.

 

"The grief is real, but so is the responsibility." Prediger stated, her voice carrying grief and determination.

 

That sense of responsibility has driven PCRF to remarkable achievements. In partnership with Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the organisation has responded to 46 rescued pangolins over the past four years. Through relentless effort and scientific rigor, survival rate for rescued pangolins have increased from 40% to over 90% since 2023.

 


The Private Sector as a Catalyst for Change

The evening also marked the official launch for PCRF’s expanded Kavango-Zambezi regional awareness campaign, supported by Gondwana Collection Namibia. The initiative focuses on Namibia’s highest risk trafficking areas, where recent cases highlight the urgent need for targeted intervention.

 

The commitment to give pangolins a fighting chance was reinforced by Quintin Hartung, Environmental and Social Impact Group Manager at Gondwana Collection. What began as a simple gesture of providing a vehicle to support emergency response, has evolved into a strategic partnership.

 

In a pivotal announcement, Hartung confirmed Gondwana’s intention to move beyond logistical support and into direct collaboration. With lodges operating across communal lands in the region, Gondwana Collection will work alongside PCRF to take conservation outreach and education directly into local communities.

 

"We want to make sure that the people that are the front line of conservation for pangolins are taken care of so that they can take care of the pangolins," he said.

 

Guardians on the Front Line

This philosophy came to life through a performance by the PCRF Pangolin Guardians themselves, community members empowered to serve as the first line of defence for pangolins and their ecosystems. Combining traditional knowledge with conservation science, these guardians are the eyes and ears in the high risk trafficking corridors of the Kavango Zambezi region, where intervention is most critical.

 

More than 90% of PCRF’s rangers are drawn from the San community of Nyae Nyae, close to Tsumkwe.

 


PCRF team that serves and protects pangolins and their ecosystems.

 

Scaling Up

The partnerships and support mobilised through A Nocturnal Affair will help drive a comprehensive conservation strategy, including:

    • Expanding the Pangolin Guardian programme into critical border zones around national parks
    • Establishing Namibia’s first dedicated pangolin rehabilitation and research centre, moving beyond the limitations of temporary facilities
    • Strengthening rapid response capacity to ensure immediate deployment when rescues are required
    • Training and mentoring the next generation of Namibian conservation scientists through internships and field experience

In just three years, PCRF-supported surveys have identified more than 950 species across key study areas. More than 60 wild pangolins are currently contributing to spatial and ecological research, helping scientists better understand habitat use, threats and rewilding success. As indicators of biodiversity, pangolins reflect the health of entire landscapes.

 

The fight for the pangolin is ultimately a fight for resilient ecosystems, sustainable communities and a shared future. On this night, that fight became stronger and more united.