How to Help Pangolins: A Practical Guide to Conservation Action

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals on earth. All eight species are threatened with extinction, and despite a complete international trade ban under CITES, the illegal pangolin trade continues to grow. The scale of the crisis can feel paralysing -- but individuals are not powerless.

This guide covers seven action areas with specific organisations and approaches. Whether you are based in South Africa, elsewhere in Africa, or on another continent, at least some of these steps are within your reach.

1. Donate to Verified Conservation Organisations

Direct financial support remains the most impactful action most people can take. Conservation fieldwork -- anti-poaching patrols, rehabilitation, habitat protection, research -- requires sustained funding. Several well-established organisations channel donations directly into pangolin-specific work.

Where to donate

• Pangolin Crisis Fund: A joint initiative of Save Pangolins and the Wildlife Conservation Network, supporting conservation projects across Africa and Asia. Grants are awarded competitively, directing donations toward the highest-impact interventions including law enforcement, demand reduction, and community-based protection.
• Save Pangolins: One of the few organisations dedicated exclusively to pangolin conservation. Save Pangolins funds research, field conservation, and public education across all eight species.
• African Pangolin Working Group (APWG): Based in South Africa, the APWG coordinates pangolin research, rehabilitation, and conservation across the continent, working directly with veterinary professionals, law enforcement, and front-line communities.

Before donating, verify the organisation publishes audited financials and reports measurable outcomes. Consistent monthly contributions, even modest ones, are often more valuable than one-off donations because they allow organisations to plan long-term programmes.

2. Report Illegal Trade

The illegal pangolin trade operates both online and in physical markets. Individuals who encounter it can play a direct role in disrupting supply chains by reporting what they see.

Reporting online trade

Pangolin scales, meat, and live animals appear on social media platforms, e-commerce sites, and messaging apps. If you encounter a listing, report it to the platform and to the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, a partnership between technology companies and conservation organisations working to remove illegal wildlife trade from digital platforms.

Reporting physical trade

If you encounter pangolin products in a market, shop, or restaurant, report it to the relevant authorities. In South Africa, contact the DFFE Environmental Crime Hotline at 0800 205 005 or the South African Police Service. The African Pangolin Working Group also accepts reports. Document what you see with photographs if safe, recording the location, date, and identifying details.

Every report matters. Law enforcement agencies use accumulated intelligence to build cases against trafficking networks. A single tip can lead to a seizure that disrupts an entire supply chain.

3. Spread Awareness

Public awareness is a prerequisite for political will, and political will is what drives enforcement and policy change. Spreading accurate information about pangolins and their conservation status is a genuine contribution.

World Pangolin Day

World Pangolin Day, observed on the third Saturday of February, is the largest annual awareness event for pangolin conservation. Schools, zoos, and conservation organisations worldwide participate through educational events, fundraisers, and social media campaigns. Organising or joining a World Pangolin Day event amplifies the message to audiences who may never have heard of pangolins.

Social media and community engagement

Share evidence-based content on social media, linking to reputable sources such as the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group, TRAFFIC, and the organisations listed above. Engage your local school, community group, or workplace. Awareness does not require expertise -- it requires accuracy and consistency.

4. Support Sustainable Products and Avoid Pangolin-Derived Goods

Consumer demand drives the illegal trade. Pangolin scales are used in some traditional medicine formulations, and pangolin meat is consumed as a luxury item in parts of Asia. Never purchase pangolin scales, meat, wine, or any product derived from pangolins, regardless of how it is marketed.

Beyond direct avoidance, support brands and businesses that commit to wildlife-friendly supply chains. Some companies in the traditional medicine sector have publicly committed to removing pangolin-derived ingredients from their products and substituting herbal or synthetic alternatives. Supporting these companies with your purchasing decisions reinforces the commercial incentive for others to follow.

5. Volunteer with Conservation Programmes

Hands-on volunteering contributes labour, skills, and awareness to conservation programmes that are often understaffed and underfunded.

South African programmes

In South Africa, several organisations accept volunteers for pangolin-related conservation work. The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, which treats injured and confiscated pangolins, accepts both skilled veterinary volunteers and general support volunteers for rehabilitation assistance. The African Pangolin Working Group coordinates volunteer opportunities across research, monitoring, awareness campaigns, and community education programmes.

Private game reserves in Limpopo, the Waterberg, and the Greater Kruger area run conservation volunteer placements that include pangolin monitoring, snare removal, and data collection. These placements typically run from one week to several months and may involve a programme fee that funds conservation operations.

International programmes

Outside South Africa, conservation organisations in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia run volunteer programmes focused on Sunda and Chinese pangolin rehabilitation and monitoring. Research tourism placements, where volunteers pay to participate in field research, provide both labour and funding for programmes that might otherwise lack the capacity to operate.

6. Support Policy Advocacy

Laws and their enforcement are the structural foundation of wildlife protection. Individuals can influence this process more than they often realise.

Contact your elected representatives to advocate for stronger wildlife protection legislation, increased penalties for wildlife trafficking, and greater funding for wildlife crime investigation units. Support organisations that lobby for the enforcement of CITES regulations, cross-border law enforcement cooperation, and judicial training on wildlife crime. In South Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the APWG both engage in policy advocacy and can direct supporters toward effective actions.

International pressure also matters. Citizens in consumer countries -- particularly in Asia, Europe, and North America -- can advocate for import bans, customs enforcement, and foreign aid directed toward conservation and anti-trafficking capacity in range states.

7. Choose Ecotourism That Funds Conservation

Tourism revenue can create powerful economic incentives for communities to protect wildlife rather than exploit it. When travelling in pangolin range countries, choose lodges and tour operators that allocate a meaningful portion of their revenue to conservation and community development.

Ask operators specific questions before booking: What percentage of revenue goes to conservation? Do they support anti-poaching patrols? Do local communities benefit from tourism income? Responsible pangolin ecotourism operators in southern Africa typically allocate 30 to 60 percent of specialist excursion fees to conservation programmes. Community-based tourism models in Southeast Asia distribute 40 to 70 percent of income to local communities as incentive payments for habitat protection.

A living pangolin that generates tourism revenue year after year is worth infinitely more than a dead one sold once to a trafficker. Choosing conservation-minded operators helps build that economic reality.

Making Your Contribution Count

No single action will save pangolins. The crisis is driven by interlocking forces -- poverty, demand, corruption, habitat loss, and enforcement gaps -- that span continents. But conservation is not a spectator sport. Every donation funds a patrol. Every report disrupts a trade route. Every conversation changes a mind.

The organisations working to protect pangolins -- in South Africa, across Africa, and around the world -- need individuals who are willing to act. The seven steps here are not exhaustive, but they are practical, accessible, and effective. Choose one. Start today.