Meet Wanjala, the orphan pangolin
Stolen from the wild by poachers in Malawi, a young pangopup is now helping raise vital funds to save her entire species from extinction. But, she needs your help!
Wanjala © Lilongwe Wildlife Trust
Have you met Wanjala yet? A rare pangolin – the only mammal with scales, she’s far too young to be alone and should be safe with her mother, in the wild. But, Wanjala is a tragic victim of wildlife crime and entirely reliant on human care.
Born Free has launched a critical appeal to help care for Wanjala, rescue other pangolins in need, stop ruthless criminal gangs, and keep pangolins safe in the wild.
Tragically, the cruel trade in pangolin scales and meat tops all wildlife crime. At least 400 of these shy and gentle creatures fall victim to poachers every day. Your gift to our Plight of the Pangolin appeal could support our fight to stop this.
Little Wanjala weighed only 3kg (6lbs) when she was confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. Thankfully, she was taken in by our long-term partners at Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, one of Malawi’s leading wildlife organisations, who are expert at caring for even the smallest of pangopups (baby pangolins). Sadly, in recent years, the Trust has seen a big increase in pangolins needing rescue from wildlife traffickers.
Wanjala, which means ‘hungry’ in Chichewa (a Bantu language spoken in Malawi), got her name because when she arrived, she could not stop eating. On her first day with the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, she ate for six hours straight! When they’re rescued, young pangolins can need regular bottle-feeds of a special milk formula, before graduating to a diet of ants and termites.
Thankfully, apart from being extremely hungry, Wanjala was otherwise healthy, and the team was able to transport her straight from Lilongwe Wildlife Centre – based in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe – to their special pangolin rehabilitation site, a regional hub in a protected area.
Throughout her recovery, Wanjala has been under the watchful eye of her dedicated pangolin caretakers. The caretakers rotate shifts, so one person accompanies her for a few days, and once their shift is over, another caretaker takes over. Wanjala has now grown to 5.4kg (12lbs), a significant improvement compared to when she first arrived, and continues to steadily gain weight.
Her devoted caretakers take her on daily early feeding walks from 6am to around 9am. During this time of year, the rains bring an abundance of food as the wet ground causes ants and termites to surface, making it easier for Wanjala to dig and find food. If she continues to gain weight at this rate, she will be on track for release soon.
When they’re ready, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust gradually returns rescued pangolins to the wild in protected areas, and carefully monitors their progress. We’ll report back on Wanjala!
Please donate today to help care for Wanjala, rescue other pangolins in need, fight wildlife crime and keep pangolins safe in the wild.
PANGOLINS NEED YOU TODAY!
Help end the brutal illegal trade and protect pangolins without delay.