The Pangolin Puzzle

DSWF have always believed in taking a holistic approach to conservation. This is why, when it comes to pangolins, we are not only working on the ground to support their recovery across two continents, but across multiple borders, deep into illegal markets and high up in political echelons to close the circle.

When it comes to solving the pangolin puzzle, we believe in investing in robust scientific led research, on the ground-protection, supporting intelligence led investigations and law enforcement operations, deploying innovative demand reduction campaigns, and taking bold approaches in policy decisions and debates to ensure the myriad pieces
needed for survival fit together.

Pangolins remain one of the most under-researched and poorly understood of endangered species. To counter this DSWF supports groundbreaking research in Kenya with the aim to yield insights into pangolin behaviour that will have an impact way beyond this single location and help inform global pangolin protection strategies.

Pangolin scales, endangered species — Image credit: Thilo Florian

What threats are facing pangolins?

Research alone isn’t enough. The Giant pangolins we work to protect in Kenya face immediate threats from deforestation and land degradation, something happening at such an alarming rate that the research to protect the species can’t keep up with their vanishing habitat. This is why our field partners are increasing the amount of habitat they are protecting by expanding their work into two community conservancies. Community members need an incentive to protect pangolin habit, not destroy it, which means compensating landowners to protect the land to the same value they could generate from using it for farming or charcoal production. Poverty alleviation goes hand in hand with protecting pangolins.

How are we fighting to protect pangolins?

As a colleague recently described ‘it’s like playing snakes and ladders on a chess board’. Since 2023, there have been several significant seizures of pangolin scales in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand, and it is in these countries where we continue to prioritise funding for undercover investigations and workshops to enhance cross-border collaboration. Operating to end the illegal wildlife trade where it first starts, we have also successfully funded investigations that recently led to the arrest of five traffickers carrying 138 kg of pangolin scales in Cameroon, as well as the arrests of a further 26 wildlife traffickers across West Africa which included the seizure of 228 kg of ivory.

How do we reduce demand for pangolin products?

The final piece in our pangolin puzzle looks at reducing demand and in October 2023 our funding enabled the release of a major report, ‘Investing in Extinction’. This exposed 62 major international firms investing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) companies who use species including pangolin, leopard, rhino and tiger parts in their products. Whilst we support investigations into these more unsavoury companies, we also believe in constructively working with the TCM industry itself by funding conferences to bring together practitioners to share knowledge and awareness of alternative non-animal-based ingredients for their products.

How does DSWF work with local communities to protect pangolins?

DSWF are proud to have supported work in Cameroon and neighbouring Nigeria, two key source countries where key pangolin populations remain, to raise awareness of their plight. In Nigeria, DSWF funding has been integral to the production of TV documentaries and radio shows detailing the threats to pangolins, while our support for billboard and social media campaigns featuring prominent Nigerian musicians and other local celebrities has been crucial in raising the profile of pangolins, and in helping build the case for changes to Nigeria’s wildlife laws. In Cameroon we helped to engage tribal leaders to share key messages around the importance of protecting pangolins as part of the campaign ‘Say No to Pangolin Meat.’ This campaign was viewed 44 million times in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé alone and saw a survey increase of 33% of local Cameroonians who are now aware that it is illegal to hunt and consume pangolins in the space of just over a year.

DSWF also continue to fund long-standing and impactful campaigns to reduce demand in both China and Vietnam, key consumer countries. Our field partners are currently producing a documentary with superstar Wang Yibo on efforts to protect the Chinese pangolin, and in Vietnam, they continue to target and expose restaurants serving pangolin meat, as well as producing campaigns raising awareness of the penalties for consuming pangolin products, which can be up to 15 years in prison.

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Help protect pangolins today by adopting, and receive your very own personalised pack with a certificate, facts sheets and optional hand-knitted toy, supporting women’s groups in Zimbabwe.

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