Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is where it all began. In 1994, Lisa Hywood set up the Tikki Hywood Foundation in memory of her late father, himself an avid wildlife enthusiast. The Foundation began as a wildlife trust that took in all manner of lost or abandoned creatures and Lisa was involved in many more conservation efforts outside of the Trust itself. Then on receiving her first pangolin in 1996 the Trust evolved. Despite still taking in and rehabilitating a variety of smaller and lesser known critters, pangolin became a focal species due to the increase in their illegal trade.
Since then, the Trust became a Foundation and has expanded in Zimbabwe to include four rehabilitation sites, a pangolin release and monitoring project and a legal advisory department which serves lawmakers and public prosecutors in upholding and updating the wildlife laws of Zimbabwe.
As a group of highly specialised mammals - Pangolins have been around in their current form for close to 56 million years, at least twice as long as a better known fellow mammal - the cat. Having no teeth, the longest tongue of all mammals in relation to body size, the Pangolin has become a highly specialised feeder, eating only ants and termites. There are only eight species of Pangolins found worldwide, four in Asia and four in Africa and all eight are under extreme threat.
It has been documented in depth that the Asian cultures rely on, and still practice traditional medicine techniques, with Pangolins and their body parts being high on the agenda. Pangolin Scales are made of the same substance as Rhino Horn, that is keratin, which has no proven medicinal properties, but are still highly prized.
The result is that African wildlife has become a new untapped resource and African Pangolins are now sought after. This species is now at a critically low level and faces, like the Rhino, extinction in all of its range states including Zimbabwe. We are considered the African experts on Pangolin and consult in matters relating to rescue, captive care, orphan rearing, rehabilitation and release. We are actively involved with changing legislation, anti-poaching efforts, following up on prosecution and the implementation of wildlife law.
To our sponsors, this journey would not have been possible without you; our sincere gratitude.
