Saving the Pangolin in Vietnam

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Pangolins are vital for maintaining a healthy forest ecosystem. They eat up to 20,000 termites and ants every day, helping protect forests from damage. Without pangolins, termite populations would run unchecked. That’s why they’re often called the “guardians of the forest. They’re also living, walking fossils with a lineage dating back some 80 million years. But despite surviving at least five extinction events—including the one that wiped out dinosaurs—pangolin populations are now in steep decline.

Pangolins are poached at alarming rates, with over 100,000 killed every year. They’re at the centre of an international crime network and are hunted for their meat, considered a delicacy; their skin, turned into luxury leather; and even their blood, used in folk remedies. Right now, 1 kilogram of pangolin scales sells at 3000 US Dollars on the black market! All of this is driven by a strong international demand. In fact, the US and China are among the biggest markets for illegal pangolin trade. Now, pangolins are in danger of disappearing forever.

Planet Wild has teamed up with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, one of the few organisations in the world that successfully rescues and releases pangolins. Together, they’re saving pangolins from traffickers across the country, nursing them back to health at a rescue center and eventually releasing them back into the wild where they belong. By providing new breeding enclosures to allow for more pangolin pups to come into the world, sleeping boxes to safely house the newly rescued pangolins, and seven fully stocked vet cabinets, pangolins are getting a chance at survival.

Save Vietnam’s Wildlife has a three-pronged approach: species conservation, site protection, and community engagement and education. This not only ensures pangolins are rescued from poachers and released back into the wild, but also prevents illegal activity in the first place. Through educational programs, they’re raising awareness and inspiring long-term change, showing the public why pangolins matter and why they must be protected.

Vietnam