Author profile

 
 
Portrait photograph of Kelsey Prediger.

Kelsey Prediger is the Founder and Executive Director of the Pangolin Conservation & Research Foundation (PCRF), the secretariat of the Namibian Pangolin Working Group (NPWG), and the co-chair for southern Africa of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group.

Kelsey completed her studies in zoology and conservation biology in the United States before her passion for conservation led her to Namibia. Once there, she completed a Masters degree in Natural Resource Management at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) focusing on the ecology of the Temminck's ground pangolin. She is involved with a number of projects whose goal is to learn more about the ecology of these nocturnal and elusive creatures, and to help provide a base of scientific knowledge from which we can better help save this species from the horrendous wildlife trafficking trade.

 
 
 

Conservation Namibia bibliography:

 
 
Flamingoes in water in the foreground, with a tall tree and wildebeest in the background.
 

The Nyae Nyae Pangolin Project: benefitting people and pangolins

Pangolin Conservation & Research Foundation

The indigenous Ju/'hoansi San people living in Nyae Nyae Conservancy have several traditional beliefs about pangolins that prohibit killing this species, which is under severe threat throughout its global range due to poaching. The Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation therefore established the Nyae Nyae Pangolin Project to employ local people to find and track the Temmink's ground pangolin occurring in this area. The project has established a permanent research camp and aims to employ one ranger in every village in the conservancy by 2028, while further providing many benefits to the broader community.
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A pangolin wearing a tracking device approaches a waterhole.
 

Trafficked pangolins get a second chance, but do they survive?

 

Pangolins that are caught up in the illegal wildlife trade have been removed from their home ranges, traumatised and starved. Some rescued pangolins can be restored to health and released into the wild, but that is not the end of the story. Data from released pangolins reveal that survival is far from certain. Studying the movements of released individuals can help improve the success rate of these efforts.
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A pangolin burrowing in the earth.
 

Taking a Scientific Approach to Pangolin Conservation in Namibia

 

Pangolins are the world's most trafficked animal, and Namibia has seen a recent upsurge in trafficking cases. Pangolins that are seized from traffickers are rehabilitated and released, but we really do not know enough about them to increase the chances of successful releases. As part of her M.Sc, Kelsey Prediger studied the ecological requirements and movements of pangolins to find out how far they go, what they eat, and what makes the ideal burrow for pangolin refuge. The results of this study will be used to guide the release of pangolins in future.
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Closeup view of a pangolin.
 

Namibian Pangolin Working Group: collaboration for conservation success and World Pangolin Day

Namibian Pangolin Working Group

Pangolins are severely threatened by the illegal trade for their scales and parts, yet their ecological needs are poorly understood. The Namibian Pangolin Working Group was established in early 2020 to coordinate and drive efforts to reduce illegal trade, rehabilitate and release individuals seized from poachers and traffickers, conduct priority conservation research, and create awareness of the pangolin's plight in Namibia.
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A newly released pangolin walks off into the sunset.
 

From Facing Certain Death to Contributing to Science – A Pangolin's Tale

Namibian Pangolin Working Group

A female pangolin was confiscated from wildlife traffickers by the Blue Rhino Task Team following a tip-off from the US Embassy in Namibia. She has now become the first satellite-tracked pangolin in Namibia. Kelsey Prediger of the Namibian Pangolin Working Group tells us her story and what it means for pangolin research and conservation.
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