Critically endangered pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, with more than ONE MILLION poached over the last decade. The insatiable demand of the illegal wildlife trade has driven all eight species of pangolin to the brink of extinction. Every year, tens of thousands of pangolins are poached and killed for their scales – falsely believed to serve medicinal purposes – and their meat, which is considered a delicacy among the ultra-rich in many Asian countries.

Image credit: Traffic

Shockingly, restaurants strip pangolins of their scales and BOIL THEM ALIVE!If we do not act fast and do everything we can to help preserve pangolins, we risk losing these unique creatures for good. Please, will you help us?

Animal Survival International (ASI) supports important pangolin projects in Nigeria and South Africa, but our emergency funds for critical operations are running dry. We must ensure that our partners on the ground are ready to respond immediately to any emergency, and that they are well equipped to deal with challenges we may encounter.

Image credit: Shaban Omar/The Star

Currently, numerous pangolin smuggling routes operate in and out of Mpumalanga, South Africa. There are increasing incidences of wildlife trafficking and successful sting operations confiscating the poor creatures – but unfortunately, there are no suitable facilities for treating them.

There is an URGENT need to establish a rehabilitation and release facility
for seized pangolins.

Our partner, the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in Mpumalanga, South Africa, plans to do exactly that – and with your support, we will help.

Image credit: The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency

We work closely with Care for Wild (CFW), a registered wildlife rehabilitation facility and the largest rhino sanctuary in the world, and is the best candidate for the job. CFW has successfully rehabilitated and released nearly one hundred orphaned rhinos. This devoted team has the expertise to extend their care to vulnerable and threatened pangolins – but they desperately need the resources to do it.

If we can raise $10, 000 (£8,445), we will provide funds to start equipping the sanctuary with the tools they urgently need to deal with injured, traumatized, and dying pangolins. Your donation will save lives and ensure healthy pangolins are released back into protected areas.

Image credit: The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency

Pangolins are extremely vulnerable to stress. Most die within six months of capture or rescue, which is why it is SO important that they are rehabilitated fast and returned to the wild as quickly as possible. During the rehabilitation process, pangolins are as vulnerable as newborn infants. They require intensive, round-the-clock care if they are to make a full recovery following the physical and psychological damage inflicted on them by poaching.

Rescuing individual pangolins from traffickers, rehabilitating them, and releasing them into protected areas with high-tech tracking equipment is vitally important in the fight to save the species.

Image credit: EAGLE Network/USAID/Flickr

Extinction is looming, and EVERY pangolin life is critical to the survival of the entire species. Without your support, we will see more and more cases of rescued pangolins succumbing to their injuries from the sickeningly cruel illegal wildlife trade. Please find it in your heart to donate as much as you possibly can today so that we can work alongside Care for Wild in this critical rehabilitation project.