We are proud to announced the opening of our state-of-the-art pangolin veterinary and rehabilitation facility within the pristine Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, on World Pangolin Day – February 15th, 2025.
APWG co-chair Alexis Kriel addresses the gathered guests
The inauguration event, held over the course of the weekend, marked a significant milestone in the conservation efforts for Temminck’s pangolin, in South Africa, and for the APWG.
Guests entering the Pangolarium for the first time; APWG founder Prof Ray Jansen gets a guided tour from co-chair Nicci Wright; Lunch in the lapa after the opening
Guests included conservationists, representatives from environmental organisations, ecologists, and scientists, all united in their support for the APWG’s ongoing contribution to pangolin conservation in South Africa. Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, spanning approximately 48 000 hectares in Limpopo province, within the UNESCO designated Waterberg Biosphere, offers an ideal environment for pangolin rehabilitation. The reserve’s diverse ecosystems and state-of-the-art security ensure that rehabilitated pangolins have the best chance for a successful reintroduction back into the wild.
The team that made it all happen: Kate Hughes (Lepogo Lodges); Nicci Wright and Alexis Kriel (APWG co-chairs); Glenn Phillips (CEO Lapalala Wilderness); Gareth Thomas (APWG) and Prof Ray Jansen (founder and past chair APWG)
The Pangolarium (meaning a “place for pangolins”) is a purpose-built facility that aims to enhance the rescue, veterinary high care, rehabilitation, and reintroduction processes for pangolins rescued from the illegal wildlife trade on the west side of Limpopo Province, also accessible from the north of the province, and with a doorway into North West Province. Equipped with advanced medical and husbandry resources, the centre provides a facility where this vulnerable species can recover and prepare for a return to their natural habitat. It will also serve as a basecamp for the APWG’s ongoing research and education initiatives.
The building of the facility has been financed by Lepogo Lodges – an NGO Lodge operator on Lapalala Wilderness Reserve and the Sustainability winner of the Ahead Travel Awards, for Melote House, in the MEA division.
Limpopo Province is historically the province with the highest incidence of pangolins retrieved from the illegal trade, sharing borders with Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana – all pangolin range countries – where transboundary collaborators facilitate the poaching and sale of pangolins in South Africa. Pangolins are currently considered the most illegally trade non-human mammal on the planet, with the eight species (four in Africa and four in Asia) varying from vulnerable to endangered on the IUCN Red List, and with all populations decreasing. They have been resident on earth for 85 million years.
The APWG invites the global community to join in supporting our pangolin conservation efforts. For more information on how to contribute or get involved, please visit our donations page.
If you missed APWG co-chair, Alexis Kriel and Wildlife photographer, Gareth Thomas in conversation with Pea Horsley last year, then you can catch up or re-watch them here.
Who are the people involved?
PEA HORSLEY is the UK’s most highly regarded animal communication specialists. Sowing the seeds of profound transformation, her goal is to deepen our personal and spiritual understanding of the natural world, re-wilding our connection along the way by offering grounded, practical, and compassionate teachings to everyone from complete beginners and those with more developed intuitive skills.
ALEXIS KRIEL is the African Pangolin Working Group’s Co-Chairperson. She comes from a media background as a journalist and film maker; she has managed her own businesses; has an international certification in wildlife rehabilitation from the IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council) and is a member of the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group. Alexis started working with pangolins in 2014 with the rehabilitation of pangolin pups in the Central African Republic – she qualifies as one of a handful of people in the world who has worked hands-on with three of the four African pangolin species.
GARETH THOMAS was born and raised in South Africa, but spent most of his school holidays in the wild in Zimbabwe, which is where his deep love of nature was seeded. Although he would only reap the fruits of this much later on in his mid 30’s.At this point, he began seeking adventure, which led him to picking up a camera and returning to the African wild. Here, surrounded by wildlife, he found the greatest sense of purpose, peace and meaning. Nothing he had done in his life prior to this had truly activated his heart. He then quite serendipitously found pangolin, who “expanded my heart beyond anything I could have imagined. Pangolin became my greatest teacher!”
Talking with the Ancient Ones Part 1/2
Talking with the Ancient Ones Part 2/2
We have long known that pangolins that have been rescued from the trade suffer from PTSD. They react negatively to situations and noises that remind them for their time in activity. These triggers can include loud male voices, loud music, the smell of cigarette smoke and the smell of beer. While these are not considered entirely measurable, science is catching up with the idea that animal sentience can be measured.
We value your contribution to our mission to save the most trafficked mammal!
With your help, we have had our best year so far and we have new and exciting plans for the future of our organisation.
You will find our Chairman’s report here. We pride ourselves on transparency, ethics, good governance, kindness to animals and harmony between us humans.
Ray Jansen
Our mentor and friend, Prof Ray Jansen has resigned as the Chairman of the APWG after 12 years at the helm of what has become a remarkable organisation – it started off as a conversation between likeminded individuals in 2009, the organisation was established as an NPO in 2011 and today we have an international reputation and successes that we would not have imagined would be possible.
Ray has been granted Honorary Life Membership with the APWG, so while he steps down from his immediate role as the chairman of our group, he will not be going away anytime soon.
In Rays words:
After 12 years of working with pangolins and 10 years following the establishment of the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG), I have decided to resign as Chairman and Board member and revert back to my focus on academia – my teaching, but more importantly scientific research in the natural world. I have been truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful, vibrant and active pangolin conservation organisation that is the APWG and, to have support from such an amazing collective of individuals that make up its Board and field staff. More than that, how can one describe the privilege it has been to work with pangolins. They are spiritual, bewitching, mystical and peaceful beings that have taught me much about life and about the joys and horror that is human nature. I have been honoured by the APWG Board with a Life Membership, for which I am truly humbled. As such, I remain part of this incredible organisation and will continue to assist and support where I can. Nicci Wright and Alexis Kriel have been voted collective co-chairpersons of the organisation – I cannot think of two better people to take the APWG through to greater heights as the organisation currently experiences a growth phase. I remain active and committed to my pangolin research with my postgraduate students and hope to continue for many years to come.
Our work
Our work spans the fields of intelligence operations, confiscations of pangolins from the illegal trade and we are mandated by the South African Government to oversee the high care, rehabilitation of pangolins and their release back into an appropriate wildlife area. We do training for law enforcement, prosecutors, vets and rehabilitation specialists in South Africa and beyond, we work closely with SAPS and the Environmental Inspectorate and our publication of research is extensive.
The African Pangolin Working Group is currently in a growth phase where we are formalising our structure and moving towards an increase in staff. In the last 10 days, we entered into a grant agreement with USAID for combatting pangolin-related wildlife crime in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation area which spans the borders of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. We are in the process of purchasing a vehicle with sponsorship provided by Pangolin Crisis Fund and invitations for projects with artists, photographers and the media come in on a daily basis. Our second International Pangolin Conference will be held in Kruger Park in September and virtually at the same time, with pangolin conservation specialists presenting from across the globe.
We feel excited about the next phase in the life of our organisation. We will continue to grow, to meet the challenges of saving a creature that belongs on this planet and we welcome you to continue to partner with us going forwards.
