IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group

21/02/2026

To coincide with our 2026 World Pangolin Day theme, “Pangolin Guardians in Action”, our WPD coordinator Tulshi Laxmi Suwal created a World Pangolin Day pledge. 🎖️📜

Pangolin Guardians can include researchers, rangers, community leaders and elders, educators and students, veterinarians, artists and storytellers, journalists, enforcement officers, policymakers, local advocates, or even people who take a moment throughout their day to learn and share information about pangolins.

To celebrate this occasion, we urge you to make your own Pangolin Pledge, a concrete action that you will take in 2026 to help pangolins, and share it on your social media pages. Make sure to tag us in your pledges, as we will be reposting them on our story all day!

21/02/2026

Meet Tulshi Laxmi Suwal, the World Pangolin Day focal point / coordinator for the IUCN Pangolin Specialist Group. For the past several years, Tulshi has been organizing our WPD celebrations, and generating our unique WPD themes.

This year, Tulshi has a special message to share about World Pangolin Day and our ‘Pangolin Guardians in Action’ theme.

We thank Tulshi for all of her continuous support and hard work! 👏

21/02/2026

🌏 🎉 Happy World Pangolin Day! 🎉 🌏

This year’s World Pangolin Day theme is “Pangolin Guardians in Action”, a theme to celebrate the many people whose actions help conserve pangolins all around the world.

IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group members are Pangolin Guardians in Action, who deserve to be celebrated all year round. Through research, fieldwork, collaboration, communication, and innovation, PSG members play a huge role in conserving pangolins across regions and contexts.

🌿 Our 2026 logo, created by PSG co-chair Keri Parker, represents this theme, and can be seen in multiple different languages. We thank Keri, and everyone who sent in translations for their hard work!

To show your support, consider updating your profile picture with the official 2026 logo, and share how you are celebrating this special day in the comments below! ⬇️

20/02/2026

20/02/2026

20/02/2026

The Asian Sunda pangolin is the last in our Eight Days of Pangolins celebration! 🎊

This critically endangered pangolin is the most widely distributed in Southeast Asia, with illegal trade being the main reason for their IUCN Red List status. 🐜 These pangolins have no teeth, and survive on a myrmecophagous diet, eating only ants and termites with their long tongues.

Along with being excellent climbers, the Sunda pangolin is also a confident swimmer! Both of these talents come from the same anatomical trait, do you know what it is? Leave your guesses in the comment section below! ⬇️

And don’t miss tomorrow's celebrations for the 2026 World Pangolin Day! 🎉🥳

19/02/2026

Our second to last pangolin spotlight is on the Indian Pangolin! 🇮🇳

In addition to India, these pangolins can also be found in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. This species can be distinguished from other Asian pangolins by their larger scales and sizable front claws, which have been reported to be strong enough to dig through concrete and into houses! 🏠

The lifespan of this endangered species is currently unknown in the wild, but an Indian pangolin in captivity’s longevity was documented. Can you guess how many years that was? Comment your answers down below! ⬇️

18/02/2026

Next up in our Eight Days of Pangolins is the Philippine pangolin! 🇵🇭

These pangolins have the smallest scales, and the greatest number of scale rows across their back of all Asian pangolin species. 🪵 It’s easy to mistake them for the Sunda pangolin, but you can identify a Philippine pangolin by its shorter head, and their body to tail length ratio.

This critically endangered species is only found on four islands in the Philippines, can you guess one of them? Leave your answers down below! ⬇️

17/02/2026

🧧 Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧 Today’s pangolin is the Chinese pangolin, a species not only found in China, but in a variety of Southeast Asian countries as well.

This critically endangered species has the longest gestation period of any pangolin species, with the period ranging from 318 to 372 days. Over a year long!
These pangolins spend the colder months in deep burrows to keep them warm, and they make sure to place themselves near termite nests, which supplies food all winter long. 🐜

Do you know what types of habitats the Chinese pangolin populates? Take your guesses in the comment section below! ⬇️

16/02/2026

Day four of our Eight Days of pangolins is centered around the African Giant pangolin! 🌵

Like their name may suggest, the Giant pangolin is the largest out of all pangolin species, and can weigh up to 35kg (77lbs)! Found mostly in Central and West Africa, these elusive pangolins are extremely uncommon, so the research and knowledge we have on them is limited. One thing that we do know though, is that they actively avoid altered habitats, demonstrating their sensitivity to change.

Do you know what these pangolins eat? Let us know in the comments below! ⬇️

15/02/2026

It’s time for our third pangolin spotlight, the Temminck’s pangolin! 🏜️

Ranging from Southern to East Africa, the Temminck’s pangolin is bipedal, and can be found walking on their two hind legs, using their front limbs and tail as tools for balance. 🕳️ These pangolins do not make their own burrows, opting to use existing ones made by other animal species’.

Temminck’s pangolins have a very interesting gestation period, how many days do you think it is? Comment your guesses down below! ⬇️

14/02/2026

❤️ Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ Today our valentine is the Black-bellied pangolin, the second in our Eight Days of Pangolins spotlight.

🤎 These African pangolins are only found in West and Central Africa, and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This species has distinct black skin, differing from all other pangolin species. Their scales look ombre in colour, and their tails can measure up to twice the length of their body.

Do you know how long a Black-bellied pangolin's tail can get? If you do, comment the answer below! ⬇️