Pangolins - one of the world’s most trafficked animals – are on the brink. In Zimbabwe a dedicated team of conservationists and veterinarians are on the front lines, fighting to rescue and rehabilitate these national treasures.

Harare

Pangolins, among the most trafficked animals globally, face severe threats from poaching in Zimbabwe, primarily for their scales and occasionally as bushmeat. Despite the country's strict legal protections, including placing pangolins on a specially protected list since 1975, illegal trafficking continues to endanger the species.

The Tiki Highwood Foundation, led by Lisa Highwood, operates a 24-hour wildlife rescue centre dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing pangolins. Many rescued pangolins arrive with serious injuries and trauma, often resulting from harsh captivity conditions. While awareness and conservation efforts have made progress, ongoing work is needed to ensure the survival of this ancient species.

One of the world’s most trafficked animals has a lifeline in Zimbabwe

Pangolin trafficking is a very real problem. In the vast wild bushlands of Zimbabwe, an urgent mission is unfolding to safeguard a national icon teetering on the brink. It's the pangolin. Predominantly poached for its scales for use in eastern traditional medicine and occasionally as a source of bushmeat, the pangolin is one of the most trafficked animals on the planet. Even still, strict laws and harsh penalties have not stopped poaching significant threat, according to Zimbabwe Parks. Zimbabwe as a government in 1975 placed the pangolin on specially protected list and that would indicate that all of us as a country were protective around this species. Lisa Highwood is the founder and CEO of the Tiki Highwood Foundation which operates as a 24-hour wildlife rescue centre. The pangolin is the foundation's flagship species and it aims to not only rescue but to rehabilitate and release these highly threatened animals. When a pangolin first comes in, the first 72 hours is critical. The reason for this is we need to establish the health and well-being of that animal. Unfortunately most of our patients that we see coming in can have quite severe trauma. So we'll have a lot of constricting wounds and injuries. Sometimes these animals are kept in drums which have water in so they have softening of the feet. We have damage from wire. They're occasionally tied up with twine which can act like a tourniquet or a snare. They're dehydrated, massively underweight because they haven't been able to eat sometimes for two weeks or more. Despite great progress in recent years, the mission to raise awareness over the plight of the pangolin continues. I am optimistic because I believe in pangolins. I believe that they have endured a lot as a species and I think because they're as old as they are, they will persist for much longer than we give them credit. All we need to do is provide the safe spaces for them to do that.

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