Pangolin

With the objectives of facilitating the development and implementation of targeted in situ pangolin conservation activities, and stimulating local communities’ interest in pangolin survival, PCSI engaged in partnership with Conservation International (CI) Cambodia and the Cambodian Forestry Administration to plan and implement a stakeholder workshop for pangolin conservation in the Cardamom Mountains Protected Forest in the Koh Kong Province of Southwest Cambodia. The workshop took place from November 4-5, 2008, and engaged a total of 56 representatives from local communities, local government officials, police and rangers from Protected Area projects across the Cardamom Mountains, and staff from international conservation organizations seeking ways to work together to improve pangolin conservation in the region. PCSI representatives Rowena Watson and Gina Schrader attended the workshop, gave presentations on pangolin biology and natural history, and assisted with workshop logistics. To support and empower law enforcement officers responsible for seizing illegal shipments of wildlife, training was provided to rangers in methods to correctly handle and release confiscated pangolins, including basic assessment and treatment of injuries such as cuts from snares, as well as recording of data and the correct procedures to prosecute criminal cases involving the trade of pangolins and other protected wildlife. A simple reference guide that highlights relevant laws and policies, pangolin handling techniques, assessment and treatment protocols, and appropriate area contacts was distributed to participants. Through working groups and discussions, participants developed ideas and plans for collaborative efforts to conserve pangolins. Preliminary reviews of participant evaluations indicate that the format and materials used for this workshop (developed in English and Khmer) could be used as a model for future trainings and stakeholder meetings. The workshop was featured on several Cambodian news stations where PCSI members were featured. Footage can be found on YouTube under “Cambodian Pangolin Workshop.”

More than 50 local school children from the Cardamom Mountains joined in the workshop events for the launch of the first outreach campaign to focus solely on Asian pangolin conservation, and along with workshop participants received materials developed (and translated into Khmer) by PCSI and CI-Cambodia including a two page fact sheet, a poster, and a coloring page on pangolin conservation. These materials will be shared with other non-governmental organizations and government agencies working on species protection across Cambodia and Asia through the new website SavePangolins.org, the most comprehensive pangolin website on the internet. Developed by PCSI to increase global awareness of pangolin conservation, the website contains a wealth of information about pangolins, highlights the activities of conservation groups working to conserve these imperiled animals, and directs people to ways they can help contribute to pangolin conservation. SavePangolin.org is the first public website to maintain an all-encompassing archive of news media on pangolins; articles from media across the world are catalogued to document instances of poaching, confiscation, and the small but growing fight to conserve the species. To date, more than 1,000 people have visited the site.