“My favourite animal to see in the wild is one that’s incredibly rare and nearly impossible to spot: a pangolin. They’re found in Asia and Africa but in five decades of wandering around west African forests, I’ve only ever seen two live ones: one in Namibia and the other just two years ago in Liberia.

They’re very quiet and blend into their surroundings. But the other reason they’re so hard to spot in the wild is that they’re the world’s most trafficked mammal. Their populations have been decimated.

I grew up in West Africa but only ever saw dead pangolins, in wildlife markets. That was a very common sight. You could enter any village and see pangolin scales for sale. They are used for traditional medicinal purposes. But if you do spot one, they are approachable, so it’s possible to get a good photograph.”

www.conservation.org
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My Big 5

Pangolin
Leopard
Honey Badger
Wolverine
Tiger