Pangolin Field Research 

​

Besides working in rural communities, schools, law enforcement, the judiciary and pangolin care and rehabilitation, applied scientific research in an integral and vitally important component of pangolin conservation. Research undertaken throughout Africa on the four pangolin species if often undertaken by postgraduate students enrolled for masters and doctoral degrees through various Universities and supervised by one of the African Pangolin Working Group board members. The findings of this research are published in international scientific journals and made available to the judiciary, nature conservation authorities and the scientific community to implement conservation management strategies for Africa’s pangolins through each species range.

​

Our research investigates multiple aspects of Africa’s pangolins life history related to their habitat use, biology, population ecology, phylogeography, evolutionary genetics, population genetics and parasitology. However, effective pangolin conservation is not only related to the species but also to the communities of people that share this illusive and understudied animal’s habitat. As such, it is critically important to investigate the cultural belief systems of these animals within the often very rural and impoverished African communities. Often pangolins are harvested for cultural or traditional beliefs, used as some form of remedy and simply as a source of protein in the bush meat trade. We pride ourselves in leading this form of research in Africa.

​

A more detailed account of ongoing projects and the students involved can be found on this page.