I come to you with a heartfelt plea for help on behalf of pangolins in Nigeria. Every day, these shy, gentle, nocturnal creatures in this African nation are at risk of being captured for the horrific illegal wildlife trade.
Pangolin scales are used in Asia for phony ‘traditional medicines’. Animals are stripped of their scales and boiled alive for restaurant meals. The trade is so huge that if it is not stopped, pangolins will soon be extinct.
With your support today, we can help Nigerian pangolins survive this relentless onslaught.
Nigeria’s out-of-control, illegal wildlife trade is driving pangolins to extinction. With your contribution, we will do everything in our power to help our partners save as many pangolins from this horrific trade as they can, and help intercept future illegal activity.
Although the country has banned the hunting, trading and ownership of pangolins, the illegal trade is growing because Nigeria’s lax law enforcement, corruption, trafficking syndicates and busy seaports make it the ideal hub for poaching and smuggling.
Credit: Taylor Weidman
The insatiable demand for pangolin parts and meat is
fast-tracking the species’ path to EXTINCTION!
Some rescued pangolins are infants, weighing as little as 3.5 ounces (100 grams). They need critical medical treatment, long-term care, and ultimately tracking devices so they can be monitored once they have been released into protected areas.
We are working with Pangolins International (PI), an organization based in the Emerald Forest Reserve in South-West Nigeria, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases pangolins back into their natural environment. Pangolins International and its Nigerian partners rescue some five pangolins every month from the illegal trade.
Credit: Pangolins International
Right now, there is an upsurge in confiscated pangolins. We need to raise $5,000 (roughly £4,100) to provide them with shelter, medical care, and a very specific milk formula critical to their survival – particularly those who have been ripped from their mothers as infants. It will also enable us to help support their ongoing protection through the work of our partners on the ground. To achieve this, we desperately need your donation. Please take a moment to consider how you can make a difference by donating any amount possible, small or large.
Credit: Pangolin International
Millions of pangolins – small, defenseless mammals which have been around for approximately 80 million years – are illegally slaughtered each year. They play an important role as insect controllers in the wild and their extinction would have unknown consequences. Today, all eight species of pangolin are listed on the IUCN’s (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species. The crisis facing pangolins is devastatingly real, with some species facing extinction in as little as 10 years! Your donation today can, and WILL, make a real difference.
Credit: Pangolins International