The Pangolin Roundtable: An Evening of Conservation, Storytelling & Hope

Meet the Panel:  

• Gareth Thomas: Conservation ambassador and the human face of Netflix's Pangolin: Kulu's Journey. 

• Tony Park: Best-selling African fiction author (“The Protector“). 

• Nicci Wright: Co-Chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG), wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. 

• Daniel Rossouw: Conservation biologist and pangolin researcher for Tswalu Kalahari. 

• Pippa Hudson: Award-winning South African broadcaster and host of the event. 

Step inside the Pangolin Roundtable, watch the full event: 

Why is Go2Africa Shining a Spotlight on This Cause?  

At Go2Africa, we are best known for crafting exceptional, personalised safaris across the continent. But our vision goes beyond creating life-changing journeys, we believe travel should be a force for good. Every trip should contribute positively to the places, people, and ecosystems that make Africa unlike anywhere else on earth.  

Hosting The Pangolin Roundtable was one way to amplify this vision. For us, storytelling is more than inspiration, it is a catalyst for awareness, empathy, and action. 

Why Protecting Pangolins Matters to Us All 

Pangolins have long remained hidden in the folds of Africa's wilderness – nocturnal, elusive, and cloaked in armour-like scales. Even the most seasoned safari travellers rarely catch a glimpse of them in the wild. And yet, they are vanishing. Their scales are falsely prized in parts of Asia for traditional medicine, their meat coveted as a delicacy. In just the last eight years, over half a million pangolins have been seized from the illegal wildlife trade — a staggering number that represents only a fraction of the true toll.  

• The World's Most Trafficked Mammal: Targeted relentlessly for their scales and meat, pangolins are disappearing at alarming rates.  

• Extraordinarily Difficult to Study: Shy, solitary, and nocturnal, they remain one of the least understood animals on earth, complicating conservation efforts.  

• Slow to Reproduce: With just a single pup born each year, their fragile populations struggle to recover.  

Without urgent intervention, Africa's pangolins could disappear within our lifetime, a quiet extinction of one of the continent's most extraordinary creatures. 

“There's still so much we don't know about pangolins, even their basic behaviour remains a mystery. Scientific research is essential if we're to give them a real chance of survival.”  – Daniel Rossouw: Conservation biologist and pangolin researcher for Tswalu Kalahari. 

Ethical Ways to Interact with Pangolins 

For travellers and wildlife enthusiasts, the most important act of conservation is making sure that our encounters are ethical. Pangolins should never be treated as safari “trophies” to be sought out or staged. Instead:  

• Do Not Pursue Sightings: Pangolins are nocturnal and stress easily. Deliberately tracking or disturbing them can cause harm. If you are fortunate enough to encounter one naturally on safari, treat it as an extraordinary privilege, observe quietly and give the animal space.  

• Support Trusted Conservation Projects: Direct your interest, time, or donations towards organisations like the African Pangolin Working Group, which focus on rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction rather than exploitation.  

• Choose Responsible Travel Operators: Work with safari companies that uphold strict wildlife welfare practices and never promise pangolin sightings. Ethical operators prioritise the well-being of animals above all else.  

• Be a Voice for Pangolins: Share their story. For most people, awareness will come not through seeing a pangolin in the wild, but through the power of books, films, articles, and conversations. Every story told widens the circle of people who care. 

“There have been times when I've opened a box to find a pangolin so weak it could barely move. And yet, somehow, it seemed to know when it was safe, when it was finally in the hands of someone who would protect it. It would unroll, look up, and trust. You cannot come away from that unchanged.” – Nicci Wright: Co-Chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG), wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. 

What Other Positive Impact Initiatives Does Go2Africa Support? 

Beyond shining a light on pangolin conservation, Go2Africa partners with projects across Southern and East Africa that connect communities and conserve landscapes. These initiatives reflect our belief that people and nature thrive together when travel is guided by purpose:  

• CLAWS (Botswana): Helps communities coexist with predators like lions through the Mobile Cattle Boma initiative.   

• Ecoexist Project (Botswana): Works to reduce human-elephant conflict in the Okavango Delta's Panhandle while creating conservation-linked income.   

• Endangered Wildlife Trust (Greater Kruger, South Africa): Conserves threatened species and ecosystems while partnering with people through education and skills development.   

• Maunga Primary School (Zambia): This community initiative, led in partnership with the African Bush Camps Foundation, is transforming Maunga Primary School in rural Livingstone into a fully resourced education centre supporting Grades 1 to 8. 

• VETA Hotel & Tourism Training Institute (Tanzania): Provides vocational training in hospitality and tourism to equip Tanzanian youth with skills for employment or entrepreneurship.   

• Wild Horizons & Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (Zimbabwe): Back eco-friendly conservation and community projects in the Victoria Falls area, blending tourism with long-term environmental stewardship. 

• Greenpop (Southern Africa): Through reforestation and ecological restoration projects, Greenpop strengthens the bond between communities and nature.  

Thinking About Your Greatest Adventure in Africa?  

Every Go2Africa safari leaves more than memories. Your adventure helps to support communities and ecosystems thrive together.