In 2020, Save Pangolins launched the Pangolin Champions program to support emerging leaders in the pangolin conservation landscape. Since then, they have accepted 12 passionate, committed and inspiring pangolin conservationists into their program.
Last year, Save Pangolins teamed up with the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) program to work with a team of young professionals tasked with making recommendations to strengthen the Champions program and support its continued impact for pangolin species and conservationists around the world.
One of the first tasks was getting to know Pangolin Champions and understanding what they currently need the most. One resounding answer? Support in raising awareness of their work and the importance of pangolin conservation.
In that spirit, and as we celebrate World Pangolin Day 2023, we wanted to share some recent conversations with you, too. Our celebration doesn’t stop here - be sure to tune into the new Forces For Nature podcast for more in-depth conversations with some of the Champions.
The EWCL team spoke with Kumar Paudel, who works in Nepal to document threats and enhance public engagement to save pangolins and Elisa Panjang, who works in Malaysia to reduce poaching and address illegal wildlife trade of pangolins.
EWCL Team: How did your journey in pangolin conservation start?
Elisa: My experience with pangolins began when I was a child in the 1990s. I witnessed a wild pangolin moving near the forest's edge. My first impression was that the animal was both weird and cool. At that moment, I believe I fell in love with the pangolin. That encounter sparked my interest in science. Amazingly, I am now a scientist who specialises in pangolins.
Elisa Panjang in Malaysia.
Kumar: Growing up in Sindhupalchowk, a mountainous district in rural Nepal, I grew up seeing pangolins making burrows in and around our millet farm. I was fascinated by their strange behaviour, and I didn’t know what they were since I was just eight years old. Coming from a very remote village, no one around me could tell me what it was except that it was just another creature that lives around. In fact, I initially thought it was some kind of reptile.
When I was in grade 5, I saw them being hunted in our village for the first time. Pangolin poaching was quite common in our area. It was hunted mainly for its meat, and the scales were used for opportunistic trade. This continued for years, and as a kid, I couldn’t do much even though I felt bad for pangolins.
Only when I left my village and arrived in Kathmandu for higher studies did I learn that pangolins are nationally protected mammals and highly threatened internationally. I started to learn more about the pangolins. And whenever I used to go back to my village on vacation, I grew more and more concerned about the plight of pangolins and was moved to help them.
Kumar Paudel in Nepal.
EWCL Team: Pangolin conservation is not an easy field to be involved in. What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?
Kumar: One of the biggest challenges is not enough conservation attention and investment for pangolins. Sadly, they are not considered a charismatic species nor do they get the kind of attention that megafauna does. Working on pangolin protection with limited resources makes our job very challenging.
Elisa: Pangolins are difficult species to work on. They are elusive and rare, so it is difficult to study them in the wild. Pangolins are also highly sought after for the illicit wildlife trade. The species are illegally hunted by indigenous people and local communities either for food or for sale to generate income. Pangolins are also highly trafficked for the illegal wildlife trade by poachers. As conservationists, it is challenging to work with communities that eat and sell pangolins. I have to engage with them patiently, understand why they eat and sell pangolins, and motivate them to stop.
A pangolin in Nepal rescued by Kumar.
EWCL Team: What makes you passionate and keeps you going?
Elisa: I extremely love my work. Support from many people keeps me going.
Kumar: I have spent years on pangolin conservation and have worked closely with communities living with pangolins. These days, whenever I get a call from the community I work with, and they tell me they have rescued a pangolin and released it to the habitat instead of eating it, I feel overjoyed. I even get calls from enforcement agencies to enquire how they can develop a court case against the poachers or what to do with rescued live pangolins. This gives me hope that things are moving in the right direction.
EWCL Team: What is your favorite story or experience to share about your work in pangolin conservation?
Kumar: There are many! In 2020, I went to help a newborn baby pangolin born inside police custody to a mother pangolin who had been seized from smugglers. Seeing that newborn baby pangolin and helping to release it to a safer habitat was my favorite experience with pangolins.
Elisa: In 2018, the protection status of the Sunda pangolin in my region was upgraded to the highest level, which prohibits hunting, selling, and consumption. Sunda pangolin triumphs! My contribution to the effort is meaningful, which is cool!
Celebrating World Pangolin Day in Malaysia.
EWCL Team: This week as we celebrate World Pangolin Day, is there anything you would like to share with readers - how can they help support your work?
Elisa: Join us to celebrate! Support individuals and organizations who are working with pangolins by sharing their work on social media and donating to them. Amplify their voices! Let’s be the forces for pangolins!
Kumar: Even though pangolins are only found in Africa and Asia, everyone can help in supporting pangolin conservation programs. Raising awareness on why pangolins must be conserved and boycotting pangolin parts in trade, helping with fundraising for organisations directly working on protecting pangolins in range countries, talking about why investment needs to step up for pangolin protection are some ways people can get involved.
You can also help Pangolin Champions like Elisa and Kumar and support other critical work to protect pangolins by donating today.
And tune into this week’s podcast hosted by Forces For Nature to hear more from Elisa and Kumar and learn more about their work by following them on Instagram (@elisapanjang and @kmrpaudel).
