Community-Driven Pangolin Conservation in the Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas

The Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas Complex (APDS) in the Central African Republic is home to three of the four African pangolin species: the giant, black- and white-bellied pangolins. It is also home to local communities comprising over 40 distinct ethnolinguistic groups with limited economic opportunities who must see the tangible benefits of living alongside and protecting pangolins to ensure their survival. The Pangolin Crisis Fund has funded a local grassroots organization to develop a community-driven approach to pangolin conservation in APDS, incentivizing and engaging local communities and indigenous peoples to reduce hunting pressure on pangolins and eliminate the local trade in pangolin scales.