Researchers hope Ghost will provide an insight into the habits of pangolins, an elusive species whose numbers have declined because of wildlife trafficking. Photograph: David Lehmann/ANPN.
A new research programme in Gabon is identifying the ‘isotopic fingerprint’ of the world’s most-trafficked mammal - pangolins - in the fight to beat smugglers.
After a two-week chase through Lopé-Okanda national park, a mosaic of rainforest and savannah in central Gabon, David Lehmann and his Wildlife Capture Unit were celebrating – they had caught a giant pangolin nicknamed Ghost, the biggest on record.
The team – consisting of eco-guards, an indigenous tracker, a field biologist and a wildlife vet – hope that Ghost, who weighs 38kg and measures 1.72m from nose to tail, will give valuable insights in their fight against poaching.
Pangolins are thought to be the world’s most trafficked mammals. The African Wildlife Foundation estimates that around 2.7 million pangolins are trafficked from Africa’s rainforests each year.
Read my story for The Guardian - with National Geographic explorer & photographer Nathalie Bertrams - here.