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  • WHERE I WORK

I can’t show my face because of pangolin poachers

This interviewee rehabilitates illegally traded pangolins that fetch a high price on the black market.
By
  1. Linda Nordling

    1. Linda Nordling is a freelance journalist in Cape Town, South Africa.

A pangolin wrangler holds a pangolin at a rehabilitation facility in Zambia.

A pangolin being held by a sanctuary worker in Zambia. Credit: Kang-Chun Cheng for Nature

“I work for a sanctuary in Zambia that rehabilitates pangolins saved from illegal trade. The exact ___location is secret, and I’m staying anonymous for this interview. The poachers, who are usually armed, could target me or follow me to the sanctuary. Only my parents know what I do.

Pangolins are worth a lot of money on the black market for their scales, which are believed to bring luck and are used in traditional medicine in Africa and Asia. The poachers use sharp tools, and some of the animals are missing legs or their tails. Others are very young and have to be hand-reared.

There are two types of pangolin in Zambia, the ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) and the tree pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis). In the picture, taken in March this year, I’m holding a ground pangolin; it’s less than two years old and was in poor condition when it arrived.

I’ve been doing this job for two years, living in the sanctuary for seven days at a time with a few days’ rest in between. Pangolins in captivity will often starve themselves if they’re in pain or stressed. They’re picky eaters, so I have to work out what each individual likes. I need to monitor that they’re putting on weight. It’s hard work.

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Nature 642, 832 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01890-7

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

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