How many of you have been fortunate enough to see one of these handsome fellows?

John,

I've seen four and consider myself very lucky. An extremely unique animal that reminds me of an artichoke.

Mark

Great pictures John. I have seen one but it was at a distance and never had the opportunity hold it. Very cool, thanks for sharing.

Check this out. A mother carrying her little one. I spotted her while checking leopard baits near Otavi Namibia. [URL=

Brain,

That is special. I wonder if that is common for pangolin to carry their young.

Mark

Just saw one last week while hunting with Alan Shearing in Chewore. Very special memory.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Brain,

That is special. I wonder if that is common for pangolin to carry their young.

Mark

Yup. Standard procedure.

I saw one in 2009 at a leopard bait.

Since then, I've seen four more . . . typically on Christmas Day . . . courtesy of the talented Patrick Mavros.

Very unique creatures. The african species seems to be more common or the terrain probably makes it easier to see. They are found in India and South East asia but are very rare to come across in the thick vegetation.

Great photo by Brian with the baby on the back - a normal mode of travel!

On my 1st safari, I saw a pangolin & 2 ardvaarks.
My PH told me I was a very lucky person to see these.

Pangolin are good luck animals. Saw two one is Zim andthe other in the Selous.

Mike

Then this guy walked out and the rest is history.


Mike

Cute little fellows but I wish they would look for ants away from the driving track

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:
Cute little fellows but I wish they would look for ants away from the driving track

And the poor beggers in West Africa are on the "bush-meat" menu. They are kept alive until they are needed by tying a cord around their tails and then suspended.
In parts of South Africa they seem to becoming fewer, probably due to being eaten and the "witch-doctor" trade.

My son and I were hunting in Zimbabwe last year. The area was poor in game. It was a communal area full of snares and people. Another hunter just leaving as we had arrived had struck out.

We were seeing nothing but females and runts. The area had been shot out or snared out.

After we found this Pangolin my son connected on a buffalo, zebra and impala. As it turned out those were the only chances we got.

The Pangolin has sharp scales however and the durn thing tried to cut my trigger finger off.

I figure it is dangerous game. Holding it in this position - I was in danger of losing more than my fingers.

10 safaris and I've never seen one...would love to!!! Great photos

D. Nelson

Cool pictures, thanks for sharing. My mum attempted to rehabilitate a pangolin that was a bit brain damaged, I think...It had been whacked on the head by some youths who wanted to sell it, I guess. Sadly for the youths, they also got whacked on their heads and the pangolin was recovered by gamescouts and handed to ma. Cut a long story short, it eventually died and ma was shattered, she spent hours each day for months feeding it crushed ant paste etc with a dropper, trying to get it to walk properly etc...One of her few failures. Pangolins are supposed to enjoy protected status here in Zim, officially and in unwritten tribal law. If one comes across a pangolin it is good form to capture it and present it to a chief, not kill it. Sadly, many don't obey the 'rules', including the chiefs...