Saturday 17th February, World Pangolin Day 2018, was the seventh annual World Pangolin Day celebration, and it was bigger and better than ever before! It was truly a global celebration of pangolins, and across the world people were raising awareness for pangolins with a range of creative activities. In case you missed out, here’s a selection of World Pangolin Day celebrations from some of our members!
Malaysia
Elisa Panjang, PhD candidate and Pangolin Conservation Officer for Danau Girang Field Centre, led a host of celebrations, including launching a pangolin awareness sculpture at Sandakan airport, delivering a pangolin awareness talk and organising a drawing contest at Shangri La’s Rasa Ria Resort, and leading a pangolin talk, exhibition and activities with some local schools!
Elisa Panjang launched a Pangolin Awareness Sculpture by Future Alam Borneo and Danau Girang Field Centre at Sandakan airport in Malaysia © Danau Girang Field Centre
Pangolin awareness talk delivered by Elisa Panjang at Shangri La’s Rasa Ria Resort © Danau Girang Field Centre
Cameroon
MENTOR POP Fellow Jerry Kirensky Mbi led World Pangolin Day celebrations in Kimbi Fungom National Park. This event consisted of a ‘Pangolin Walk’ from the National Park Office to the local school, a welcome speech and reading of a pangolin message with questions from community members, and a football match (civil servents vs. Kimbi youths). This great event was finished off with festivities including entertainment and delicious local food!
Pangolin talk at Kimbi Fungom National Park © Jerry Kirensky Mbi
Football match for pangolin awareness at Kimbi Fungom National Park © Jerry Kirensky Mbi
U.K.
Members at ZSL celebrated with a fun and educational stall in London Zoo, engaging members of the public with the wonder of pangolins and raising funds for pangolin conservation projects.
Pangolin information stall at ZSL London Zoo © Carly Waterman/ZSL
Nepal
ZSL also celebrated by launching the FIRST two Community Managed Pangolin Conservation Areas (CMPAs) in Nepal!
A rescued pangolin in Makwanpur district © ZSL
KTK-Belt Project were very busy and had a whole week of World Pangolin Day celebrations! Activities included outdoor education workshops, youth workshops, art exhibits and a film screening. Additionally they inaugurated trail signage in the Sikti Community Forest that provided information on the importance of conserving pangolins and the vow taken by the community forest to protect them. The celebrations came to a close with members of the community pledging to protect pangolins by signing their pangolin banner, featured below.
Pangolin workshop attendees in Maharajey who committed to protecting pangolins and their habitats! © KTK-Belt
Pangolin banner quickly filling up with signatures to pledge protection for pangolins © KTK-Belt
Inauguration of trail signage in Sikti Community Forest that elaborates on the importance of conserving pangolins and the vow taken by community members to protect the forest © KTK-Belt
United States
Keri Parker celebrated by baking ant-candy cupcakes for her colleagues at the US Fish and Wildlife Service International Affairs Program, and had fun trying to eat like a pangolin would!
Ant candy cupcakes for pangolin celebration at US Fish and Wildlife Service International Affairs © Frank Kohn, USFWS
Ant candy cupcakes by Keri © Keri Parker
