Local guide (Oto) with one of the White-bellied pangolins.

There is a lack of knowledge surrounding the plight of “Pangolins”, millions of which are traded every year. Locally, pangolins populations are dwindling due to unsustainable harvesting. Pangolins are valued for their meat, a delicacy in some communities. Their scales serve as an ingredient in traditional medicines. In Ghana, pangolins are under severe threat and may be heading towards extinction. Listed as ‘vulnerable’ on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2014), CITES put them under appendix I. The IUCN pangolin specialist group emphasizes the need for baseline ecological surveys to assemble data to better assess the impact of poaching on pangolins.

The aim of the project is to document and obtain current baseline data on pangolin populations and initiate conservation awareness and education on the local conservation of pangolins in Ghana. The project will fill the knowledge gap on the current plight of pangolin populations, the associated threats and their habitat requirements in the area. Ultimately, the project will draw both national and international attention on the need to conserve regions hosting populations of these elusive species countrywide and West Africa as a whole. We will achieve this by engaging the community members and creating awareness among them to take action to protect their environment and wildlife resources. Ultimately, this project will contribute to the protection of the entire ecosystem both on and off legally protected areas. Aside from safeguarding pangolins populations, other equally venerable and endangered species stand to benefit as umbrella species. The project will facilitate a collaborative conservation support among the inhabitants through the awareness education programs and public symposiums.