15 May 2020, Prof Ray Jansen issued a press release:

Dear all interested and potential delegates who where planning to or who had planned to attend the 2nd international Pangolin Conference scheduled to take place during September and October 2020 in the conference facilities in Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa,

The conference committee has been monitoring the global spread, level of infection, recovery rate and resultant risk associated with the novel SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) global viral pandemic. It is clear that countries that have reacted early and placed multiple systems in place have achieved some success in limiting the spread of the virus and many are in a state of recovery. However, other countries are only expected to reach peak levels of infection in June and some possibly even later. Others, have indicated a certain level of re-infection. It is clear that the global community will remain at risk for the foreseeable future throughout the remainder of 2020.

With this in mind, it is possible that the South African Government will open international travel to and from South Africa prior to September 2020, but this may not be the case for other countries – many of which may be the home for many delegates wishing to attend the conference. The organising committee wishes to host all delegates who not only wish to make presentations but those who wish to attend for various reasons. It is an important opportunity to meet, mingle and communicate with the global pangolin community to present new research findings, to create partnerships and to develop friendships that will all contribute towards the future conservation of the Pholidota. For these reasons, we have decided to postpone this conference until September 2021. The committee did not take this decision lightly and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

For those delegates who have already registered on-line, their registrations will be carried over automatically for the 2021 conference. For those delegates whose abstracts have been approved for an oral presentation, they too will be carried over as approved for 2021. For those who have made payments, please can you make arrangements with AfricaMassive, the company organising the payment and booking logistics via their MD, Angus Morton (angus@africamassive.co.za)  and CC me in please (jansenr@tut.ac.za).
With very best wishes,

Professor Ray Jansen
Chairperson of the Conference Organising Committee