Pangolin Conservation

 

The elusive pangolin has been ‘thrown onto the scales’ recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Up until now the pangolin has been a relatively unknown species despite being the most trafficked mammal in the world.

Pangolins are strange-looking scaly anteaters which resemble a prehistoric artichoke on four legs.

They are completely covered in armour-like scales. These scales are made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails and rhino horn. When threatened pangolins roll into a ball and use their scaly armour to protect themselves.

A single pangolin can consume up to 70 million insects per year, meaning they are hugely important in keeping insect populations down and regulating the balance in ecosystems.

The exact pangolin population figure remains unknown due to the species’ shy nature and nocturnal habits. What is known is that over one million pangolins are believed to have been traded illegally in the last decade.

Pangolins are in high demand for their meat which is considered a local delicacy in Asia. Their scales are also used for medicinal purposes in China, and their leather for wearable goods in the USA.

Help save these scaly anteaters by donating.
Or
You can help by adopting a pangolin today.

The four Asian species of pangolin have almost been poached to extinction. Illegal wildlife trafficking networks have shifted their attention to Africa in an attempt to satisfy growing consumer demand for pangolin.

Photograph of an unfurled pangolin with vibrant blue and green background

Image Credit: Gareth Thomas

Image Credit: Thilo Florian

Protecting Pangolins

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) works at all levels of the illegal wildlife chain to protect pangolins and help to reduce their demand on the black market and as a consumer product.

We work with ground-based conservation partners to prevent pangolin poaching at its source, funding law enforcement efforts in Africa by tackling the illegal trafficking of the species.

By supporting wildlife rangers on the ground and ensuring they have the equipment they need and operational mobility we can directly prevent the poaching and trafficking of pangolins, protecting populations across the continent.

DSWF supports large-scale demand reduction campaigns in consumer countries like Vietnam, China and Nigeria.

By dispelling the myths that pangolin products can cure diseases and illnesses, we can decrease the demand for them in consumer countries, therefore reducing their use and value in the illegal wildlife trade.

Find out more about how DSWF is working to save pangolins. 

Protecting Pangolins

“Human consumption and the antiquated belief that pangolin scales hold curative properties have pushed the species to the brink of extinction. With over 300 pangolins being trafficked illegally every day the time to act is now if we are to save the species.”

Georgina Lamb, Chief Executive at David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Donate now

How to help pangolins

Thank you for supporting our vital work – your donation will help us scale up on pangolin protection.

Donate to Pangolins

£
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Stay in Touch

We would love to keep you up to date with how your support is making a difference, share our latest conservation stories and inform you about our campaigning, fundraising and events.

Please let us know below how you would like to hear from us. We will never swap, sell or share your data and promise to keep your data secure. Your personal details will only be used to provide you with the goods or services you have requested or information you would reasonably expect or have agreed to. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

You can opt-out or change your communication preference at any time by emailing us at [email protected] or calling 01483 272323.

Please indicate your preferences below:
‘We’ includes David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and its trading subsidiary DSWF Trading Limited.
Credit Card Info
This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.
Billing Details

Reclaim Gift Aid

Gift Aid It!Add 25% more to your donation at no cost to you.

A Gift Aid declaration allows David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to claim tax back on eligible donations. It means that for every £1 you donate to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation we can claim back 25p, at no extra cost to you.

Tell me more »

By ticking this box I confirm that I want to gift aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past four years to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. I am a UK taxpayer and I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid does not cost you a penny more, but can add an additional 25p to every £1 you donate. When David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation receives a donation from a UK taxpayer, we're entitled to claim an amount of tax (calculated at the basic rate of income tax in that year) paid on that donation. Once you have given your permission for us to do this on your behalf, there is no need for you to do anything else.

All that is required is that you must be a taxpayer and that would have paid or will pay sufficient Income and/or Capital Gains Tax to cover all the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year. Please note that it is your responsibility to pay any difference.

The amount of tax we claim will be 25% of the total value of your donations in that tax year. Furthermore, if you are a higher taxpayer, you are also entitled to claim the difference between the basic rate which we will claim and the amount of tax you have actually paid. For further details on how you can do this, please contact your tax office. If your tax situation changes and your gifts will no longer be eligible for the Gift Aid scheme please contact us and we will amend your record accordingly.

Take me to my donation »

Terms

Donation Total: £25.00 One Time

With your donations DSWF will continue to support the protection of pangolins,
find out more here.

Thank you

 

 

Pangolin News