Pangolin Protectors

Pangolins have become the world's most illegally trafficked mammal. After being taken from the wild, traded and killed, pangolins are trafficked to the Far East where their scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine – even though science shows that these have no medicinal value. In a bid to do their bit to halt the decline in numbers, the vets at a remote wildlife rehabilitation facility in Limpopo Province, South Africa – originally set up to save rhinos – recently opened their doors to care for pangolins saved from poachers in sting operations. The vets hand-feed the pangolins and also help them find food naturally by taking them foraging for ants. Once they are in good enough condition, the animals are returned to the wild, but not without ongoing protection from anti-poaching teams and monitoring from researchers.