People buy wooden pangolins during a public talk in Windhoek, Namibia, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)
WINDHOEK, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation (PCRF), a non-profit organization with a focus on conservation planning, seeks to open Namibia's first-ever pangolin research centre to protect this endangered species.
Kelsey Prediger, executive director of the PCRF, said Thursday that the centre to be opened in northeastern Namibia would serve as a station to conduct research and aid conservation, and identify threats to the wildlife population. In the past, the team had to set up mobile stations in the wild to conduct research.
"The construction has commenced. The aim is to set up a network for wildlife monitoring, including other species, and host local and international professionals and facilitate student exchange," she said.
Pangolin trafficking has plagued the southern African nation, leading to research interventions such as tagging and camera monitoring to observe the ecology of the pangolins.
"We have tagged eight pangolins in the last two years, with four in 2023 alone," she said.
The PCRF also employs 30 part-time and full-time rangers to safeguard the species. The organization has handled more than 30 pangolins confiscated in the southern African region over the last year.
"The pangolins undergo an intensive rehabilitation program to identify the suitable climatic environment before they are released back into nature," she said.
Meanwhile, the foundation is fusing research with community engagement to promote conservation. A recent study by Tobias Kambongi, a local researcher with the PCRF, assesses local knowledge on the use of pangolins and their parts in Namibia, which shows that traditional patterns and cultural beliefs impact the use of pangolins among the ethnic tribes in Namibia.
According to Kambongi, the local people hunted pangolins for medicine, food and spiritual beliefs.
"Some research respondents indicated that pangolins are traded for money on the black market without dwelling on details. This exacerbates the risk of the species, already under threat," Kambongi said, calling for more research on understanding community needs and developing strategies for wildlife conservation accordingly.
In the interim, community outreach has also become a focus for protecting pangolins. Prediger said that, so far, the PCRF has conducted outreach covering 22 out of 40 villages within Nyae Nyae Conservancy in northeastern Namibia.
"Most locals do not know that pangolins are a protected species; hence, robust community outreach remains crucial to debunk beliefs and drive pangolins from a prime threat status. But we require more funding to educate and equip the research centre," Prediger said. ■
Members of the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation pose with wooden pangolins during a public talk in Windhoek, Namibia, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)
A man takes a photo of wooden pangolins during a public talk in Windhoek, Namibia, on June 28, 2023. (Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)
